Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients:

Filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
1 C heavy cream
1 T Cognac
1/2 C Powdered sugar

Cookies:
2 C ap flour
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1C butter
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 t vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 t orange zest
1/2 C chopped almonds

I should probably comment on where the idea came from. My friend brought a box of these incredible store-bought waffle-cookies one day; they were two thin, crisp cookies with syrup sandwiched in the middle, which made them melt in your mouth. I got obsessed with the texture and kept altering the regular old toll-house recipe until I got something I liked. I just got sick of the spreadable honey filling so I made it chocolate instead.

First, lets make the filling.

Step 1:

In a double boiler, stir the cream, cognac, and chocolate over medium heat until it's dark and smooth.

Step 2:

Dark and smooth:

Set it aside and let it cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Step 3:

In a mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Step 4:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.

Step 5:

Light and fluffy:

Step 6:

Add the eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, and beat until light and fluffy again.

Step 7:

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture with a wooden spoon.

Step 8:

Mix together:

Step 9:

Drop scant teaspoons onto a lightly greased cookie sheet (you want them to flatten and spread).

Step 10:

Put 1/4 teaspoon of the almonds onto half of the cookies.

Bake at 375º for six to seven minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the tops are just starting to dry. Then let them cool.

If you want, you can stop right there. These sugar cookies come out both tender and crispy and I like them the way they are. If you really want some cavities though:

Step 11:

Meanwhile, beat the powdered sugar into the ganache until creamy and smooth. If you tilt the bowl and the filling stays put, it's done.

Step 12:

Creamy and smooth:

Step 13:

Spread a little filling onto the backside of a no-nut cookie and put a cookie with nuts on top.

Step 14:

And there is your chocolate almond sandwich cookie.

Step 15:

Repeat spreading the chocolate filling into all the cookies.

These cookies are so fragile, but they're worth it. They're very sweet and rich with a light and buttery texture, and melt in your mouth. Just be sure to get the timing right when you get them off the pan...if you don't wait long enough, you get scrunched mess, but if you wait too long, they crack like glass.