Shortbread Sandwich Cookies Recipes

ANISE SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, pulse flour, confectioners' sugar, salt, and anise seeds until combined. Add butter; process until mixture becomes sandy. Add yolks and liqueur; pulse until dough comes together (it may be sticky). Divide dough into 2 pieces and pat into disks. Wrap each in plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days (or freeze up to 1 month).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough 1/8 inch thick. Cut out shapes using 3 1/2-inch star-shaped cutters. Use a 2 1/8-inch cutter to cut out centers of half of cookies. Transfer like sizes to parchment-lined baking sheets; freeze 15 minutes.
• Bake until cookies are barely turning golden around edges, about 14 minutes for smaller cookies, 16 to 18 for larger. Transfer baking sheets to wire racks; let cool completely. (Cookies can be made ahead up to this point and stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days, or frozen up to 3 months.)
• Bring jam to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium. Cook 1 minute. Strain through a coarse sieve, discarding any large pieces of fruit. Let cool until thickened slightly, about 10 minutes. Spread about 1/2 teaspoon strained jam onto each large solid cookie, and 1/4 teaspoon on half of the smaller cookies. Lightly dust large tops with confectioners' sugar; sandwich halves together. Serve same day.

RASPBERRY CREAM SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup powdered sugar until well blended. Stir in flour and salt until well mixed. If necessary, knead with hands to form a soft dough.
• On floured surface, roll dough 1/4 inch thick. Cut with 1 3/4-inch round or scalloped cookie cutter. Place 1/2 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Using 3/4- to 1-inch round or scalloped cookie cutters, cut out and set aside centers of half of the cookies.
• Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until set. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheets to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat marshmallow creme and 1/3 cup butter with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Beat in 2/3 cup powdered sugar on low speed until fluffy and creamy.
• Spread about 1 1/2 teaspoons frosting on bottom of each whole cookie; top with 1/2 teaspoon preserves. Top with remaining cookies with centers cut out, bottom sides down.

SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Place ungreased baking sheets in the refrigerator. In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well., Using a cookie press fitted with a ribbon disk, press dough into 2-1/2-in.-long ribbons on chilled baking sheets. Bake at 375° until edges are lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Cool for 1 minute before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Dissolve coffee in hot water; add to creamed mixture and mix until smooth. Spread 1 teaspoon filling on the bottom of one cookie; top with another cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Dip one end of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off and then in nonpareils. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets until set.

PISTACHIO-SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• In a food processor, process butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt until smooth. Add flour and pulse until a dough forms. Stir in pistachios. Shape dough into two 8-inch-long logs, tightly wrap in plastic, and freeze until firm, 30 minutes (or up to 1 month).
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices and transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until cookies are set and barely golden at edges, 10 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks.
• Spread 1/2 teaspoon jam on bottoms of half the cookies, then sandwich with remaining cookies. Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.

DREI AUGEN (GERMAN SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES)

Steps:

• Dough: In a medium bowl, blend the flour, ground nuts, and cinnamon briefly with a wire whisk; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter at medium-low speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in the sugar at medium speed until well combined and slightly fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Lower mixer sped, gradually add the dry ingredients, and mix just until the mixture is thoroughly combined.
• Divide the dough in thirds. Roll out each portion of dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to form a circle 11 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick. Leaving the dough circles between the sheets of waxed paper, stack them on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, for at least 2 hours or up to 3 days; or freeze, well wrapped, up to 1 month.
• Adjust rack to lower third of oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two large cool baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Remove one dough package at a time from refrigerator. Peel off top sheet of waxed paper, replace it loosely on top, and flip the entire package over. Peel off and discard the second sheet of waxed paper. Using a 1 1/2-inch round cutter, cut out circles in the dough. Using the narrow end of a 3/8-inch plain pastry tip (such as Ateco #3) as a cutter, cut out three small holes in each circle. Space the cookies 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes, or until the cookies are pale golden, no longer appear raw or shiny, and feel slightly firm (lightly touch a few). Place baking sheet on wire rack to cool 5 minutes. Lift the cookies from the parchment with a metal spatula to a rack to cool.
• Repeat with the other two portions of dough, cutting out holes in only one-quarter of these circle in order to sandwich the cookies later. Keep in mind that when there is a mixture of cookies with and without holes, the cookies with holes bake faster. Remove them from the oven with a metal spatula to a wire rack. Return the baking sheet to the oven until the remaining cookies are done.
• Decoration: Using a sieve, dust the powdered sugar just over the tops of the cookies with holes.
• In a small saucepan, boil the currant jelly for 2 minutes to evaporate some of its liquid. Cool just until warm. Spoon about 1/4 teaspoon jelly on each plain circle, baked-bottom side up. Center a sugared circle on top of a jellied bottom, and gently press so the jelly fills in the three holes. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
• Stack undecorated cookies in an airtight metal contained and store at room temperature up to 10 days. Store decorated cookies in a single layer in a covered foil-lined cardboard container, such as a cake box, at room temperature up to 3 days.

ROSEMARY-LEMON SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. In another bowl, mix flour, rosemary and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Divide dough in half. Shape each into a disk; wrap in plastic. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes., Preheat oven to 350°. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough to 1/4-in. thickness. Cut with a floured 2-in. round cookie cutter. Using a floured 7/8-in. round cookie cutter, cut out the centers of half of the cookies. Place solid and window cookies 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake until set, 9-11 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., To serve, spread lemon curd on bottoms of solid cookies; top with window cookies. If desired, top with additional rosemary and confectioners' sugar.