Italian Chocolate Sandwich Cookie Recipes

ITALIAN SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a mixer on medium speed, cream together the butter, sugar and salt until very fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and continue to beat very well for an additional 4 minutes, scraping down the sides at least once. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the flour and baking powder, and mix until just combined.
• Put the dough into a pastry bag or cookie press fitted with a star tip. On an ungreased cookie sheet, pipe cookies in 2-inch lines, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes (this will help them retain their shape when baking).
• Bake until golden brown, 15 minutes. Let cool on the cookie sheets 3 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Spread a little more than half a teaspoon of jam on half of the cookies, then top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches. Place in the freezer for another 5 minutes to help set while you prepare the chocolate.
• Toss together the chocolate and the oil and place in a microwave-safe mug. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring occasionally, until completely melted. Put the rainbow sprinkles onto a plate.
• Working quickly, dip the cookies halfway into the chocolate, then roll in the sprinkles. Place finished cookies on a tray lined with either wax or parchment paper to set completely. Cookies will keep in an airtight container for about 1 week.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Sift 3 cups flour twice. In a large bowl, mix flour, baking powder, white sugar and cocoa. Cream 1 cup butter or margarine; blend into flour mixture. Add 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla and nuts. Mix thoroughly with hands until well blended. (Dough should be the consistency of pie crust, but not sticky.)
• For each cookie, pinch off about 1 teaspoon dough. Roll by hands into balls, each about one-inch in diameter. Place on greased baking sheets. Do not flatten. Bake about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets; cool on racks. When cool, drizzle each generously with chocolate frosting. Sprinkle with candy sprinkles if desired.
• To make Chocolate Frosting: Melt the chocolate squares over low heat. Cream with 1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 2 cups of confectioner's sugar. Gradually add hot milk, beating until smooth.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE SPICE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and cloves; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in walnuts., Shape level tablespoons of dough into balls; place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake until bottoms are light brown, 10-12 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For glaze, in a large bowl, mix confectioners' sugar, corn syrup and enough milk to reach desired consistency. Dip tops of cookies into glaze; if desired, decorate with sprinkles. Let stand until set. Store between pieces of waxed paper in airtight containers.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES - GIADA DE LAURENTIIS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the Chocolate Cookies, in a large bowl use an electric mixer to cream together the butter and sugar. In another medium bowl stir together the flour, cornmeal or polenta, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and orange zest. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir to combine using a wooden spoon. Place the dough on a sheet of plastic wrap. Press the dough into a 1-inch high round. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Roll out the dough to between 1/8 and 1/4-inch thick. Use a 1 3/4-inch round cookie cutter to cut out the dough. Bake on a heavy baking sheet for 15 minutes. Place the baking sheets on a wire rack to cool cookies.
• Meanwhile, to make the Orange Filling, combine the butter, powdered sugar, orange zest, and salt in a medium bowl. Use an electric mixer to cream the ingredients together.
• To assemble the cookie sandwiches, place about 1 teaspoon of the Orange Filling on a cookie. Top with another cookie and press the cookies together. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Set two racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat to 375 degrees.
• In a food processor, or bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly mix all dry ingredients for the cookies. On low speed, or while pulsing the processor, add the butter, and then the egg.
• Continue processing or mixing until dough comes together in a mass. It will be a very stiff, very dry dough; this is what it's supposed to look like.
• Take rounded teaspoons of batter and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet approximately 2 inches apart. With moistened hands, slightly flatten the dough. Bake for 9 minutes, rotating once for even baking. The cookies will look puffy; that's okay. Set baking sheets on a rack to cool and thump them slightly to make the cookies "deflate" (or press them down with the back of a spoon).
• To make the filling, place butter and shortening in a mixing bowl and, at low speed, gradually beat in the sugar and vanilla. Turn the mixer on high and beat for 2-3 minutes until filling is light and fluffy.
• To assemble the cookies, pipe a blob of cream into the center of one cookie. Place another cookie, equal in size to the first, on top of the cream. Lightly press, to work the filling evenly to the outsides of the cookie.