Chocolate Sandwich Butter Cookies
A butter cookie with a crisp exterior and tender interior, filled with rich chocolate ganache and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
Ingredients
all-purpose flour
1 cup
salt
a pinch
unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup + 1 tbsp (2 cups + 1 tbsp)
powdered sugar (sifted)
1¼ cup
eggs
2
egg yolk
1
vanilla extract
1 tsp
dark chocolate (chopped)
8 oz
heavy cream
⅔ cup
cherry brandy (optional)
2 tsp
dark chocolate (coarsely chopped, for drizzle)
1 oz
vegetable shortening (for drizzle)
1 tsp
Instructions
1
Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets
Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F (160°C). Line two baking sheets with wax paper (do not use parchment paper, as the cookies will stick).
2
Combine the dry ingredients
Sift the flour and salt together into a medium bowl. Stir until well combined and set aside.
3
Make the butter dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (the mixture will not be smooth at this point). Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour and beat just until combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and finish mixing by hand with a spatula a few times.
4
Pipe and bake
Transfer the dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 5/16-inch plain round tip. Pipe 1-inch mounds onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart (the cookies will spread quite a bit). Bake one sheet at a time for 11 to 13 minutes, until the edges are golden but the centers are still pale. Cool on the pan for 1 minute, then gently lift the cookies with a spatula and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5
Make the chocolate filling
Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. In a small, deep saucepan, heat the cream until it just begins to simmer. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, let sit for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate, then gently stir until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Stir in the cherry brandy, if using. Let the filling cool to room temperature, about 1½ hours.
6
Assemble and drizzle
Using a pastry bag, pipe a small amount of filling onto the bottom of each cookie, then top with another cookie and press gently to form a sandwich. Melt the chocolate and shortening for the drizzle and drizzle over the assembled cookies. Refrigerate until set.
