I first posted this recipe two years ago. I return to them over and over. Now, like most of you, I do love Oreos. I will never give them up. But, there are riffs on the Oreo that are massively wonderful. Decadence is often considered a bad thing. Sometime yes, Sometimes no. This cookie is divinely decadent. Enjoy each bite. Yes, you can make extra filling and “double” them. Heck, if Nabisco can do it with Oreos, why can’t you.
Look here for my recent review of Ellen’s wonderful Classic Cookies with Modern Twists.
Decadent Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
Yield: ~ two dozen 2-inch cookies
Ingredients:
For the cookies:
- 1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the filling:
- ½ cup [1 stick] unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation:
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy and well combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl with a rubber spatula; add the egg yolk and vanilla and beat on medium speed to incorporate, 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl again and add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed just until a ball of dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, and flatten each into a disk. Wrap the disks separately and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper, roll 1 disk of dough 1/8 inch thick. Use a 2- to 2 ½ -inch round cookie cutter with a fluted edge and a metal spatula to cut rounds and move them to one of the baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Any leftover scraps can be pressed together and rerolled. Refrigerate the sheet and repeat with the other disk.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. After both baking sheets have chilled for at least 30 minutes, bake for 15 to 17 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, or until the cookies are dry, no longer shiny, and are slightly crackly on top. Move the sheets from the oven (leaving the cookies on the sheets) to a wire rack to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat all of the ingredients on medium speed until smooth and spreadable. Put the filling in a smaller bowl for easier handling. When the cookies are completely cool, sandwich them with a scant tablespoon of filling and refrigerate just long enough to firm up the filling
Source: Classic Cookies with Modern Twists by Ellen Jackson [Sasquatch Books, 2015]