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    Home ยป Recipes ยป Cookies

    Vanilla Bean Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream

    August 10, 2016 Updated October 12, 2016 BySam 10 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
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    Vanilla flecked shortbread cookies sandwiched around a rich chocolate cream fillingVanilla Bean Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream -- via Sugar Spun Run

    If cookies were characters in a royal court (because why not), these vanilla bean cookies with their chocolate ganache fillings would be your ladies in waiting.  The standard cast of royalty is pretty well recognized: you have your kings, your princes, and even your jesters, but your ladies in waiting are often overlooked in favor of something richer.

    But, as pretty and reserved, as they may be, these ladies simply aren’t going to sit quietly in the shadow of the queen any longer.  Today we’re bringing these sweet, small cookies to the throne for some well-deserved recognition.

    Vanilla Bean Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream -- via Sugar Spun Run

    They’re unassuming, for sure.  Delicate, with crisp shortbread shells that snap beneath your teeth, giving way to a silky chocolate center.  Shortbread has never been my go-to cookie of choice, but things change when you add real vanilla bean into the dough and cut them into pretty shapes.

    Sandwich them around some chocolate, and suddenly they’re starting to seem a little more regal.

    Vanilla Bean Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream -- via Sugar Spun Run

    Though I’m not typically crazy about shortbread, this is actually my favorite, go-to shortbread recipe (and honestly I’m not sure if it truly counts as a shortbread because I use an egg yolk in the dough for added richness). I’ve used it before here and here, and love how incredibly easy the dough is to make.  It has a wonderful buttery flavor, and without the chocolate filling I could pop these cookies one after the other like potato chips.

    Trust me, though, it’s worth it to make the chocolate cream.

    Vanilla Bean Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream -- via Sugar Spun Run

    Enjoy!

    Vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies, lined up in a silver serving tray

    Vanilla Bean Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

    Vanilla flecked shortbread cookies sandwiched around a rich chocolate cream filling
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
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    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Servings: 36 sandwiches
    Calories: 124kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup unsalted butter softened
    • ¾ cups sugar
    • 1 vanilla bean scraped
    • 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 large egg yolk
    • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

    Chocolate cream

    • 4 oz dark chocolate melted and cooled
    • 1 stick butter softened to room temperature
    • 1 cup powdered sugar
    • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • 2 tsp heavy cream

    Instructions

    • In KitchenAid mixer or with electric hand-mixer beat your butter until well-creamed.
      1 cup unsalted butter
    • Add sugar and cream together.
      ¾ cups sugar
    • Stir in vanilla bean insides and vanilla bean paste.
      1 vanilla bean, 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
    • Sprinkle in salt, stirring until well-combined, and scrape down the sides of the bowl using a rubber spatula to ensure ingredients are well-incorporated.
      ½ tsp salt
    • Add egg yolk and beat until combined (pausing again to scrape down sides of bowl).
      1 large egg yolk
    • With mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add flour until well-incorporated (you will need to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl several times for this, as the mixture is fairly dry and crumbs tend to settle at the bottom of the bowl).
      2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • Transfer dough to clean surface and use your hands to form it into a cohesive ball.
    • Flatten into a disk (about 1" thick), cover with clear wrap, and chill for 15 minutes.
    • Preheat oven to 350F
    • Once dough has chilled, transfer it to a clean, lightly floured surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll out to about ¼" thickness.
    • Lightly flour your cookie cutters and cut out your shapes, transferring them to ungreased cookie sheet, placing at least 1" apart.
    • Once you have cut out all of the shapes that you can, be sure to re-combine the scraps and roll out and cut out again to get the maximum number of cookies from your dough.
    • Bake on 350F for 9-10 minutes and allow cookies to cool completely before filling with chocolate cream.

    Chocolate cream

    • Melt your chocolate and allow it to cool
      4 oz dark chocolate
    • In medium-sized bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until well combined.
      1 stick butter, 1 cup powdered sugar
    • Gradually add melted chocolate and stir until combined.
    • Stir in vanilla extract and salt.
      ¼ tsp vanilla extract, ¼ tsp salt
    • Very slowly stir in heavy cream.
      2 tsp heavy cream
    • Gradually increase speed of mixer to medium, and then high. Beat on high speed for one minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and then beat on high for 30 seconds longer.
    • Use a knife or icing spatula to spread a dollop of frosting on the bottom of one cookie.
    • Sandwich with another cookie, and serve.

    Notes

    The cookie shells will soften the longer the cookies sit.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1sandwich | Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 50mg | Potassium: 32mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sue Berg

      September 18, 2023 at 2:05 pm

      5 stars
      Really good dough recipe. Rolls out wonderfully. However, I recommend rolling the dough out to 1/8 ” thickness. 1/4 ” is way too thick for sandwich cookies. I used a 2-1/4″ round cutter and it made 42 cookies, enough to make 21 sandwich cookies. The author states it makes 36 sandwiches. Unless she is using a very small cutter, this recipe will not make 36 sandwiches.

      Reply
    2. Alan

      July 20, 2020 at 11:05 am

      5 stars
      This was a delicious cookie. Thank you, Sam!

      Reply
      • Sam

        July 20, 2020 at 4:14 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed them, Alan! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    3. Erin

      December 10, 2017 at 2:09 pm

      What size cookie cutter do you use to get the 3 dozen?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 12, 2017 at 12:06 am

        About 1 1/2″

        Reply
    4. Carol

      October 22, 2016 at 11:47 pm

      Very beautiful cookie I look forward to making this recipe.

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 23, 2016 at 10:07 am

        Thank you, I Hope you love them!

        Reply
    5. Puja Darshan

      August 11, 2016 at 11:42 am

      That looks fabulous! My daughter is going to love it, since it has chocolate cream in it.

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 12, 2016 at 9:14 am

        Thank you, Puja! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    6. Medha @ Whisk & Shout

      August 10, 2016 at 3:10 pm

      These sandwich cookies are so elegant- pinning! ๐Ÿ™‚

      Reply
    5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

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