Italian Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Giada De Laurentiis Recipes

CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Cookies: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips. Using a 1-ounce ice cream or cookie scoop, form 12 equal-sized pieces of dough onto each baking sheet. With damp hands, form the dough into balls. Flatten the tops of the dough slightly and bake until the tops of the cookies begin to crack slightly, about 14 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Filling: In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and vanilla together until fluffy. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Color the frosting by mixing in the food coloring, 1 drop of at a time, until the desired color is reached. Add water, if needed, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, to make the consistency spreadable.
• Spread the frosting on the flat side of half of the cookies and put the remaining cookies on top. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the filling to stiffen slightly. Serve at room temperature.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIE

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 until light in color and fluffy. 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 ALMOND SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the sandwich cookies: In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, coconut sugar and butter. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, baking soda, almond extract, salt and eggs and mix to combine. Fold in the oats and mini chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate the dough for 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Scoop 15 heaping tablespoon-size rounds of dough 1 inch apart on each prepared baking sheet. Bake, rotating the baking sheets halfway through, until the cookies are just set around the edges and still soft in the middle, 10 to 11 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, butter, cocoa powder and salt. Using a handheld mixer, beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of half of the cooled cookies. Sandwich the remaining half of the cookies, flat side against the filling. Store in the refrigerator and remove 30 minutes before serving.

ITALIAN AMERICAN COOKIE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Add the flour and mix just until a dough forms.
• Fit a pastry bag with a large star tip, and fill the pastry bag with the cookie dough. Pipe the dough onto the prepared baking sheets into stars, spacing 1-inch apart. If desired, press about 4 miniature chocolate chips into the center of each star at this point. Bake the cookies until they are pale golden around the edges and on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Cool the cookies for 5 minutes. Using a metal spatula, transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.
• When the cookies have cooled, spoon approximately 1/4 teaspoon of preserves atop the flat side of 1 cookie. Press a second cookie onto the preserves. Repeat with the remaining cookies and preserves. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Store between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at room temperature.)
• Cook's Notes: Alternately, the cookies can be made into thumbprint cookies. To do so, refrigerate the dough until it is cold, about 2 hours. Roll 2 teaspoons of dough for each cookie into 1-inch-diameter ball. Place the cookies on the baking sheets, spacing 2 inches apart. Make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie by pressing the back of a teaspoon into the cookies. Fill each indentation with 1/2 teaspoon of strawberry or raspberry preserves or chocolate chips, and bake as directed.
• A chilled chocolate ganache may be used in place of the preserves to fill the indentations in these cookies. To do this, do not fill the indentations before baking the cookies. While the cookies bake, make the ganache by mixing equal parts of warm cream and chocolate until the chocolate melts and the mixture is smooth, then chill the ganache. Once the cookies have baked and cooled, and the chocolate ganache is cold and firm but still spreadable, spoon or pipe the chilled ganache into the empty indentations on the cookies.

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.

AMARETTO CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Line heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Mix in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl until fluffy. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs and almond extract. Add the flour mixture in 3 parts and stir just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips and chopped almonds.
• For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 13 minutes. Cool the cookies on the baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool completely. The cookies can be prepared 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• To make the ice cream sandwiches: Place the ice cream in a large bowl. Mix in the amaretto. Cover the ice cream mixture and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours.
• Arrange 12 cookies, flat side up, on a baking sheet. Top each with a scoop of ice cream, then another cookie, flat side down, pressing slightly to adhere. Cover and freeze the sandwiches until they are firm, at least 3 hours. Sandwiches can be made up to 4 days ahead. Wrap each sandwich with plastic wrap and keep frozen.