ROOT BEER FLOAT GOBS

Root Beer Float Gobs image

Provided by Steven Gdula

Categories Cookies Mixer Dairy Dessert Bake Super Bowl Cream Cheese Vanilla Tailgating Birthday Party Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Peanut Free Tree Nut Free Soy Free Kosher

Yield 30 gobs

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

For the Batter
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar, sifted
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tablespoons root beer extract
For the Filling
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
12 tablespoons cream cheese, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 large vanilla bean, seeds scraped and reserved
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

Steps:

For the Batter
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line three 8-by-13-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients until they're evenly distributed.
3. In another large bowl, cream the sugar and butter with a mixer on medium speed. Add the egg yolks to the creamed ingredients, and mix on medium. Then add the egg whites and vanilla, and mix on medium-high until the mixture looks like dense pudding.
4. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the egg mixture, mixing on medium speed after each addition. Then add the sour cream, and mix well. Add the root beer extract and mix on high. Add more sour cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the batter is too thick.
5. Using a tablespoon or pastry bag, drop 1 1/2-inch rounds of batter on the prepared cookie sheets, leaving 1 inch between each round. Bake them approximately 8 minutes, or until the gob domes have risen. Remove the gobs to a wire rack to cool.
For the Filling
1. Cream together the butter and cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed.
2. Add the vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, sour cream, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and the confectioners' sugar, and beat on medium-high; scrape the bowl with a spatula to reincorporate the ingredients if necessary. Taste and add another tablespoon of lemon juice if you like.
3. To frost the gobs, flip the baked gob domes over on a cookie sheet and match up pairs of similarly shaped domes. Add 1 tablespoon of filling to the flat side of an overturned dome, then place another dome on top, sandwich-style. Allow the gobs to fully set by refrigerating them on a baking sheet for at least 1 hour. Wrap the gobs in plastic wrap to prevent them from drying out.