A Valentine’s Cookie Sandwich

2.14.19

If the red balloons and Reese’s in the shape of hearts at every CVS didn’t tip you off, it’s Valentine’s Day! This holiday is weird to me. I love love. All the time. I love celebrating love, I love the people in my life, but I also have this weird feeling like why aren’t we just celebrating those we love all the time? I understand that for some people this gives them the chance to carve out a day in a busy life/schedule to truly spend a little alone time with someone special, but it’s not really my jam. But that doesn’t mean I won’t bake for the occasion!

These chocolate crinkle cookies sandwiches are filled with a strawberry cream cheese frosting flavored with homemade strawberry syrup. It’s like chocolate covered strawberries, but better. Hot take: Chilling your cookie dough helps avoid excess spreading, so if you want these cookies to spread less, chill 3-4 hours, or up to overnight. I wanted them to spread so it was easier to make a sandwich. These cookies are crisp on the outside and fudgey on the inside! And they’re so easy, it’s a good cookie to have in your back pocket (the recipe that is, not literally). I created this crinkle cookie recipe after reading many other recipes as well as an article (which now I can’t find) about making the best crinkle cookie possible. I incorporated that advice when creating this recipe.

How are you guys digging the bright white look? I’m calling it my “winter aesthetic” since I’ve lost all natural light by the time I complete my baking projects. Once the weather starts to warm up and the sun stays out longer, I’ll be going back to my usual natural light goodness. But I’ve been enjoying learning how to style a totally different feel to my pictures.

So whether you’re having a long awaited date night with someone you love, or you’re burning all your exes stuff like Rachel, Phoebe and Monica, or just anxiously awaiting tomorrow when chocolate is 50% off (me), Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

For the Cookies

• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup white sugar + extra for rolling
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup veggie oil
• confections sugar for rolling

For the Frosting

• 4 oz (1/2 cup) cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3-4 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup strawberry syrup (recipe follows)

Strawberry Syrup

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced

Instructions

For the Sandwich Cookies

• In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside
• In a medium bowl mix together wet ingredients, sugars, eggs and then veggie oil
• Make a well in your dry ingredients and add in wet, stir to combine, the batter will be very wet and sticky
• Chill for 1 hour (if you want way less spreading, chill about 4 hours to overnight)
• Once chilled, preheat oven to 325 and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
• Pour sugar and confectioners sugar in two separate bowls for rolling
• Scoop 1″ balls, rolling in white sugar, then confectioners sugar, place on baking sheet with plenty of space around them
• Bake for 12-14 minutes, allow to cool completely before moving to wire rack
• While the cookies cool, prepare frosting
• In the bowl of a stand up mixer, beat together cream cheese, butter and 2 cups of confectioners sugar
• Slowly stream in strawberry syrup, alternating with remaining confectioners sugar until a stiff but pipeable consistency is reached
• Transfer frosting to piping bag with star tip
• Pipe frosting onto the back of half of the cookies
• Place cookie without frosting on halves with to make sandwich
• Enjoy, or keep in airtight container

For the Strawberry Syrup

• In a medium sauce pan, heat water and sugar over low-medium heat until sugar is dissolved
• Add in strawberries and bring to a boil
• Simmer for 15 minutes
• Remove strawberries with skimmer or mesh sieve
• Simmer another 10-15 minutes until reduced by almost half
• Allow to cool fully before using

P.S.

*I ended up with about 1 cup of syrup. Store the remaining sealed and chill. Use on ice cream or in cocktails, or in an ice cream cocktail!