Getting Started with French Sandwich Cookies
Okay, so I had this idea floating around my head for a few days: French sandwich cookies. You know, those delicate little things, often with some kind of creamy filling. Sounded like a good weekend project. Didn’t want anything too complicated, just something nice to have with a cup of tea. So, I decided to give it a whirl.
Prepping the Dough
First things first, I pulled out the butter to let it soften up. Room temperature butter is key, learned that the hard way ages ago. While that was happening, I gathered everything else. Flour, sugar, couple of eggs, vanilla extract – the usual suspects for a simple butter cookie. I find getting everything measured out first makes the whole process smoother. Less frantic searching later.
Once the butter was soft enough, I threw it in the mixer bowl with the sugar. Creamed them together until they looked light and fluffy. You gotta get some air in there. Then, cracked in the eggs one by one, mixing well after each, and added a splash of vanilla. Always smells amazing at this stage.
Then came the flour. I added it in a couple of batches, mixing on low speed just until it disappeared. Didn’t want to overmix it, makes the cookies tough. The dough came together nicely, soft but not ridiculously sticky.
Chilling and Shaping
Now, this dough definitely needed to chill. It was too soft to roll out right away. So, I flattened it into a couple of discs, wrapped them up tightly in plastic wrap, and popped them in the fridge. Gave it a good hour or so to firm up. Patience is not my strong suit, but necessary here.
After the chill time, I took one disc out. Lightly floured my counter and rolling pin. Rolled the dough out – aimed for maybe a quarter-inch thick? Something like that. Not too thick, not too thin. Used a simple round cutter to punch out the cookies. Gathered the scraps, rerolled, cut more. Did the same with the second disc. Got quite a few little rounds lined up on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Baking Time
Into the preheated oven they went. I kept a close eye on them because these little guys bake fast. Just wanted the edges to get lightly golden. The smell filling the kitchen was fantastic – buttery and sweet. Pulled them out and let them cool on the sheets for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. You absolutely need them totally cool before adding any filling.
Making the Filling and Assembling
While the cookies cooled, I whipped up a quick filling. Decided on a simple vanilla buttercream. Just beat some softened butter until creamy, then gradually added powdered sugar until it was thick and smooth. A bit more vanilla extract for flavor. Easy peasy.
Once the cookies were completely cool – seriously, no warmth left – it was time to assemble. I paired up cookies of similar size. Put a dollop of the buttercream on the flat side of one cookie, then gently pressed another cookie on top, flat side down. Just enough pressure to squish the filling slightly towards the edge. Repeated this until all the cookies were sandwiched.
The Final Result
And there you have it. A whole plate of little French sandwich cookies. They looked pretty neat, actually. Simple, but elegant in their own way. Took a bite – the cookie was crisp and buttery, and the filling was sweet and creamy. Perfect balance. Definitely a successful baking session. They disappeared pretty quickly, which is always a good sign!
