Hello my friends! I hope everyone is doing well; I missed you all! 🙂 I took an involuntary baking break while I was trying to complete some remodeling projects in the house before the winter gets here. I have not completely abandoned my artistic expression, I started two paintings and plan to finish them before the end of the year and I’ve discovered a new passion: poetry. I’ve always liked reading poetry, but have never tried to write anything. Well, a few weeks ago a “What if I tried” thought crossed my mind, so I started thinking and putting the words together and for now they sound very good to me. I am not sure if I am going to share it with the world yet, but I am sure of one thing: writing poetry brings me so much joy!

My hope is that these chocolate sandwich cookies will bring you joy of making and of course joy of tasting! They are a treasured recipe from my old-yellow-falling-apart recipe book that I started when I was about thirteen years young. These cookies are not too sweet. Cocoa gives them just a hint of gentle bitterness and the vanilla frosting just a right amount of sweetness.

Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

[Printable recipe]

Cookies:

• 250 g (8.8 oz) flour
• 65 g (2.2 oz )powdered sugar
• 50 g (1.8 oz) cocoa
• 13 g (2.5 tsp) baking powder
• 1 egg
• 185 g (6.5 oz) unsalted butter (room temperature)

Frosting:

• 500 ml (2 cups) milk
• 4 TBSP flour (or corn starch)
• 150 g (5.3 oz) powdered sugar
• 2 packs vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
• 160 g (5.6 oz) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 egg yolk (optional)

Chocolate glaze:

• 75 g (2.6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate
• 50 g (1.8 oz) unsalted butter

Preparation:

1. For the cookies, combine all dry ingredients and mix for a few minutes. Add egg and butter and mix on slow until resembles a crumbly mixture. Flour your working surface and knead the dough by hand until nice and smooth. Flatten it, cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
2. While the cookie dough rests in the fridge prepare the filling.
3. Mix the flour with a couple of spoons of milk until smooth. Let the milk boil at a low temperature and pour the flour mixture into boiling milk. Whisk constantly until it starts thickening, then remove from heat and let it cool completely.
4. In a mixing bowl combine butter, powdered sugar and vanilla. Mix all together. You may add an egg yolk for a nice color, but it’s not essential. Now add this mixture to the flour base and whip it at high speed until well combined and fluffy.
5. Now line a baking sheet with parchment paper. On a floured surface roll out the cookie dough to about 1/2 cm (or 3/16 inch) thick and cut out cookies with a round cookie cutter (about 3-3.5 cm or 1 ¼ inch in diameter)
6. Bake at 180 C or 350 F for about 12-14 minutes.
7. Cool down completely. Glue two cookies together with the frosting.
8. Melt chocolate and butter, let cool down for a few minutes and pour a teaspoon of the glaze on the top of each cookie.