Nutty Sandwich Cookies Recipes

NUTTY MERINGUE COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, using a hand beater, beat the egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar and beat until the sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in the chopped nuts.
• Drop the batter onto silicone mats or parchment lined baking sheets (will need 2) with a teaspoon, spacing at least 2 inches apart. Bake until the meringues are dried through, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The cookies will remove easily from the parchment or silicone mat when ready.
• Cook's Note: Do not bake on humid days. Dye these any color to suit a seasonal event. For orange cookies, add 5 drops of food coloring.

BUNNY SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In medium bowl, stir cookie mix, butter, egg and flour until dough forms. Divide dough into 6 equal portions, and color each portion with food color as desired.
• Roll 1 portion of dough on lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Using 1 1/2-inch heart-shaped cutter, cut out 18 heart shapes. Cut 6 of the heart shapes in half for ears. Dip shapes into granulated sugar. Tuck ears under 6 of the heart shapes to form ears on bunny faces. Place all on ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat with remaining portions.
• Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
• Mix frosting and powdered sugar. Set aside 2 tablespoons of the frosting. Spread frosting on bottom sides of heart shapes without ears. Top each with heart shape with ears.
• On lower back side of bunny, place dab of remaining 2 tablespoons frosting, and attach jelly bean for tail. In small microwavable bowl, microwave chocolate chips uncovered on High about 30 seconds or until chips can be stirred smooth. Place in small plastic food-storage bag. Cut small opening in 1 corner of bag. Squeeze plastic bag to make eyes and nose for each bunny. Let stand to set chocolate and frosting.

BROWN-BUTTER TOFFEE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: In a food processor, process the toffee bits, sugar, baking soda and salt until the toffee is mostly ground and the mixture is sandy, about 1 minute.
• Transfer the toffee mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer). Add butter, egg white and vanilla. Mix together with the paddle attachment on medium until creamy and fluffy, stopping once to scrape the bowl and paddle, about 2 minutes. Add flour, and mix on medium-low until the mixture comes together into a soft dough, about 30 seconds.
• Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a disk. (If the dough is very soft, wrap and chill in the fridge for 15 minutes before proceeding.) Line three sheet trays with parchment paper.
• Dust the counter and dough with flour. Working with one piece of dough at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until just under ⅛-inch thick (the thickness of two stacked pennies), turning the dough frequently to ensure it moves freely on the counter and dusting with more flour as needed. Each sheet of dough will be about the size of a standard sheet of paper.
• Using a 2-inch round cookie cutter dusted in flour, cut out cookies from one sheet of dough. Using an offset spatula, transfer rounds to a prepared sheet tray, leaving about ½ inch of space between cookies.
• Repeat with the remaining sheet of dough. Gather and knead together any scraps, reroll and repeat until all the dough has been rolled out for a total of 72 cookies. Freeze on sheet trays for at least 30 minutes before baking. (Alternatively, once the cookies have firmly frozen, stack them between parchment in a freezer-safe container or zipper-lock bag for up to 3 months.)
• Set racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water and evenly brush on the tops of half of the chilled cookies. Sprinkle the yolk-brushed cookies with almonds, pressing gently to adhere. Bake the first two trays of cookies until deeply browned like a pretzel, switching the sheet trays from top to bottom and rotating from front to back halfway through, 10 to 14 minutes. Repeat with the third and final batch. Let cookies cool completely on sheet trays.
• Once the cookies are cool, make the icing: Set a piping bag in a tall and narrow container, like a deli quart container, and fold over the top edge to secure. Flip over the cookies without almonds. (You need to pipe the icing onto the cookies immediately after mixing, so make sure you are set up.)
• In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter until foamy, about 3 minutes. Continue cooking butter, stirring and scraping frequently with a stiff silicone spatula, until the sputtering has subsided and the butter solids look deeply browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Scrape the butter and any brown bits into the bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large bowl if mixing by hand).
• Stir in the vanilla and salt. Sift over the powdered sugar. With the paddle attachment, mix on low until creamy and combined, about 1 minute, stopping once during mixing to scrape the bowl and the paddle. (You can also mix with a stiff silicone spatula until creamy and combined.)
• Transfer the icing to the piping bag and cut a 1-inch wide opening at the tip. Pipe a scant tablespoon of filling onto a flipped cookie and immediately top with an almond-topped cookie. Gently press to adhere so that the filling reaches the edges of the cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies and icing. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT-BUTTER SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• Make filling: Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over (not in) a saucepan of simmering water; stir frequently until almost melted. Remove from heat; stir until completely melted. Stir in cream; set aside to cool and thicken, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter, peanut butter, and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture, and mix just until blended (do not overmix).
• Drop dough by heaping teaspoons onto 2 baking sheets, about 1 1/2 inches apart. With the bottom of a damp glass, lightly flatten each mound of dough into a 2-inch round. Bake until golden around edges, 12 to 14 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies immediately to a wire rack to cool completely.
• With a small offset spatula or table knife, spread bottom of half the cookies with 2 teaspoons filling each; sandwich with remaining cookies, pressing gently to spread filling to the edge. Let set for 15 minutes before serving.

NUTTY CRISPY SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease cookie sheets. Stir together the flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets. Flatten cookies with a fork.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Cool on baking sheets for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

NUTTY PIE-CRUST COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat butter, flour, confectioners' sugar and salt until crumbly. Beat in cream. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 1-1/2-in. round cookie cutter. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake 10-12 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Cool on pans 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., Place pecans and coconut in a small bowl; toss to combine. Reserve 1/2 cup coconut mixture. In another bowl, beat butter, cream cheese, salt and, if desired, liqueur until creamy. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Fold in remaining coconut mixture. Spread over bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies. Place reserved coconut mixture in a shallow bowl. Roll sides of cookies in coconut mixture., Freeze option: Transfer wrapped disks to a resealable plastic freezer bag; freeze. To use, thaw dough in refrigerator until soft enough to roll. Prepare, bake and fill cookies as directed.

NUTTY BROWN SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon, until well blended. Stir in flour, baking soda and pecans.
• Shape dough into 1 1/4-inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake 10 to 14 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack.

BANANA-NUT SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For cookies: In a large bowl, stir together muffin mix, flour and brown sugar.
• Add the melted and slightly cooled butter all at once.
• Using a fork, stir just till a soft dough forms (if necessary, add enough milk to form dough).
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
• Pat or lightly roll till 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick.
• Cut out cookies using a cookie cutter.
• Place two inches apart of cookie sheets, lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 9 to 10 minutes or till cookies begin to brown.
• Remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
• For butter cream filling: In a medium bowl, beat powdered sugar, the 1/2 cup softened butter and vanilla with an electric mixer till creamy.
• Spread a scant tablespoon of filling on the bottom of 1 cookie, put together with another cookie, bottom sides together, to make a cookie sandwich.
• Repeat with the remaining cookies and filling.
• Place white or chocolate pieces and shortening in a small microwave-safe bowl and microwave on 50% power (medium) for 1 to 2 minutes or till pieces are melted and smooth.
• Cool slightly (about 5 minutes).
• Transfer to a heavy resealable plastic bag.
• Cut off tip of one corner of bag.
• Pipe melted chocolate onto cookies to resemble laces on footballs, or whatever design you'd like based on what shape you made the cookies.
• Makes 12 (2 1/2 inch) sandwich cookies.

ZUCCHINI-NUT-BREAD COOKIE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Beat 1 stick butter and the sugars until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Mix in zucchini, oats, and walnuts. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop (about 2 tablespoons), drop dough onto parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart. Bake until edges are golden, about 17 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.
• Beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter, the cream cheese, and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread 1 heaping tablespoon filling onto the flat side of 1 cookie, and sandwich with another cookie. Repeat withremaining filling and cookies.