I’m trying hard to keep my holiday baking interesting this year, and my strategy is to integrate unexpected, fun pieces into my cookie presentations. Gingerbread men, rum balls, and peppermint sandwich cookies all have their place, indeed it wouldn’t feel like the holidays without them. But, as your second, or third, or tenth holiday party rolls around, you might start to get a little tired of sampling them.

That’s why I’ve decided to offer up some different ideas for hand-held holiday treats. They may not be the first ideas that come to mind when you think about seasonal indulgence, but you’ll also notice that they tend to disappear first from the dessert table.

Having grown up with whoopie pies as a New England kid, I had no idea that they were a regional delicacy until Oprah caused a stir about them, as she is wont to do, by featuring ones from this Maine-based company on her list of favorite things two years in a row. Even with this much-deserved publicity, I’ve still encountered many New Yorkers who have never heard of them.

This recipe puts a fun spin on the classic whoopie pie. The two cakes are sort of how I remember them from my childhood, only better; moist, with an unbelievably light and tender crumb and intense cocoa flavor. The real surprise here is that the classic fluffy marshmallow frosting is replaced by a whipped, peanut butter filling, raising this whoopie pie to new heights. Peanut butter cup fans, eat your hearts out.

I made these in a minature, three-bite size (or two, if the bites are ambitious), perfect for grazing party-goers. The inclusion of chunky peanut better in the filling was the result of the simple fact that its the kind that I enjoy, and I discovered that it lent a pleasing contrast of crunchy texture inside all of that creamy smoothness, and I’d never consider doing it any other way.  4 out of 5 holiday revelers agreed.

Peanut Butter Whoopie Pies
Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For the Filling:
1 1/3 cups natural, chunky peanut butter (or creamy, if you prefer, just be sure you are buying natural peanut butter, the kind that you need to mix before using)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
Coarse salt

Make cookies:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.

Put butter and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes, until the mixture is pale and fluffy.. Add eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla and beat until well combined. On low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and mix until just combined.

Pipe (or you can drop using a tablespoon) rounded 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until set, about 8 minutes, rotating halfway through. (when the top of the cookie is gently touched, it should feel soft, but not wet.) Let cool on sheets on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
Make filling:

Put peanut butter and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until smooth. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add confectioners’ sugar; mix until combined. Raise speed to high, and mix until fluffy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Season with salt, if desired.
Assemble cookies:

Spread 1 scant tablespoon filling on the bottom of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Cookies can be refrigerated in single layers in airtight containers up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.