Best Italian Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Giada De Laurentiis Recipes

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 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.

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.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE SANDWICHES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, salt and egg and beat again until smooth and combined. Add the flour, peanut butter chips and chocolate chips. Use a rubber spatula to stir until just mixed.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Scoop out 2-inch balls of dough. Place 14 on each baking sheet. Bake, rotating halfway through, until the cookies are just set around the edges and the tops look dry, about 15 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes on the baking sheets. Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.
• When the cookies are completely cool, scoop a heaping tablespoon of the ice cream onto the flat side of one cookie. Top with another cookie and press together gently. Continue with the remaining cookies and ice cream, freezing the sandwiches as you go.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line 2 heavy baking sheets with parchment paper. Finely chop the oats in a food processor. Transfer the oats to a medium bowl. 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. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Stir in the toffee, hazelnuts, and chocolate chips.
• For each cookie, drop 1 rounded tablespoonful of dough onto sheet, spacing 1 inch apart (do not flatten dough). Bake until the cookies are golden (cookies will flatten slightly), about 15 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 in an airtight container at room temperature.)

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SANDWICH COOKIES (BACI DI DAMA)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and powdered sugar. Beat on medium speed until pale, light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract, salt and egg. Beat again for 1 minute. Add the flour and hazelnut flour and mix on low until just combined.
• Using a very small ice cream scoop or just scant of 2-teaspoon portions, portion the cookie dough mounds. Roll each one into a small ball in your hand, then place on the baking sheet at least 1 inch apart from each other. The dough should yield about 44 cookies. Bake for 11 to 12 minutes or until just set and barely browned on the bottom. Remove from the oven to cool completely to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, add the chocolate chips to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until they are completely melted. Add the chocolate hazelnut spread and mix until completely combined. Allow to cool to room temperature so that it is not runny.
• Using either a piping bag or spoon, dollop just over a teaspoon of the chocolate hazelnut mixture onto the bottom side of half of the cookies. Allow the chocolate to slightly set for about 2 minutes before lightly pressing the second half of the cookie down on top. Allow the cookies to sit undisturbed until the chocolate has set, about 10 minutes.

CHOCOLATE AMARETTI COOKIES

Steps:

• Adjust oven racks in the upper-third and lower-third positions. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Break the almond paste into small pieces and add it to the bowl of a food processer along with the sugar, cocoa powder and salt. Process until the almond paste is very finely chopped and well incorporated with the salt and sugar. Add the egg whites and vanilla, and process until a smooth dough forms, about 30 seconds. With a small scoop or spoon, dollop the batter onto the baking sheets, 1 tablespoon at a time, spaced 2 inches apart. Top each cookie with a few almond slivers and sprinkle with sanding sugar.
• Bake until the cookies have risen and cracked slightly but are still soft in the center, 13 to 14 minutes; rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in an airtight container.