Is it Friday yet? Boy, what a week, I still feel like I am recovering from the bunnies this weekend! I am definitely looking forward to a bunny-free weekend. After all, it is December – time to really start some serious baking. I am still on the fence as to whether I am going to go with my old standbys, or if I am going to try out some new stuff. Knowing me, I have to try at least a few new things, but I am also looking forward to these and definitely these.
I have always secretly been intrigued with sandwich cookies. It has taken me years to figure out why – and I think I finally nailed it. It is also why my kids seem to go nuts with them as well. Cookies are great, but sandwich cookies are awesome – you get double the cookie with a bonus of filling. As a kid, who never got any cookies – to get a sandwich cookie was really hitting the jack pot. Normally I only let my kids pack one cookie in their lunch as dessert – but when I have sandwich cookies in the house – they get two cookies in one! Wow, how has this been staring me in the face all this time?
I saw these cookies in Cooking Light, and thought these would be great to kick-start the holiday season. The chocolate filling was delicious and rich, and the cookies were nice and chewy soft. Plus, at 156 calories per sandwich, you are really getting a good deal. You can choose any cookie cutter that floats your boat – we chose hearts and stars. Then you can make baby cookies out of those shapes – just don’t let them burn, they cook faster than the bigger round cookies. Now is it Friday yet?
Ingredients
Cookies:
- 8 ounces cake flour (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Filling:
- 1 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons 2% reduced-fat milk
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons Dutch process cocoa
- Dash of salt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare cookies, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking powder, stirring with a whisk. Place powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended. Add 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla; beat 1 minute or until well combined. Add the flour mixture; beat on low-speed until just combined.
Shape the dough into a 6-inch disk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes. Discard plastic. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut out 36 (2-inch) round cookies, rerolling scraps as necessary. Using a small decorative cookie cutter, cut a heart-shaped opening in 18 rounds. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350° for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
To prepare filling, combine chocolate and 2 tablespoons milk in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir just until smooth. Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, and dash of salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture; stir just until smooth. (Mixture will thicken as it cools.) Divide chocolate mixture evenly among 18 whole cookies; spread in a thin, even layer. Top each cookie with a cut-out cookie.
For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, please click here: Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
First Look, Then Cook 