Halloween Treats

Do you know what's awesome? Halloween. Even in the snow, even when you don't have time to make those cookies you've been planning all month until you're actually in NY, even when those "one size fits all" orange knit tights don't quite fit, even when you have to bully a boyfriend and subsequently his brother into dressing up and donning some makeup, even when people keep guessing that you're a pumpkin- but especially when Halloween involves 1 scary movie per day (!!), Asian Buddy Holly, midnight showings of Frankenstein & Bride of Frankenstein and these sandwich cookies which are frankly too sweet. Great with black coffee though!

To everyone who has already celebrated Halloween or will be handing out treats (or tricks) tonight, have a happy Halloween!

Salt-N-Pepper Sandwich Cookies

Adapted from Baked Explorations

For the Cookies

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel, plus more for decorating

2 teaspoons white pepper (I used 1 tsp)

1/4 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona)

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter,cut into 1 inch cubes, cool but not cold.

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

1 3/4 cups confectioner's sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

3 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60 to 72%), melted

For the Vanilla Filling

5 ounces vegetable shortening, at room temperature

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small

 chunks, at room temperature

3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon light rum

Make the Cookies

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, fleur de sel, white pepper, and cocoa powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl, and add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating until each isincorporated. Add the vanilla and melted chocolate and beat until uniform in color. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat again for 10 seconds.

Add half of the dry ingredients and beat for 15 seconds. Again, scrape down the bowl, add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated.

Loosely shape the dough into two balls, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate them for at least 3 hours (due to unforeseen circumstances, mines was in the fridge for 3 days...)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Unwrap one ball of dough and divide it into two equal portions. Place the first portion on a lightly flour-dusted work surface and return the other to the refrigerator.

Use your hands to knead the dough until pliable and form into a small disc. Roll the dough into a 1/4 inch-thick round. It will be slightly sticky, so you may have to flip and lightly flour it a few times while you work. Use a 2-inchround cookie cutter to create your sandwich tops and bottoms, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space around each cookie. Continue the process with the remaining dough. Extra doughscraps can be refrigerated and rerolled, if desired.

Sprinkle the tops of the cookies with a little fleur de sel, then bake them for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through the baking time. The tops of the cookies should look a bit dry and possibly cracked. Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cook­ies to the racks to cool completely before filling them.

Make the Vanilla Filling

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and butter until lump free and smooth. Add the sugar in three parts, mixing each part until just combined. Add the salt, vanilla, and rum and beat again for 10 seconds. The filling should be thick but spreadable (like the inside of an Oreo). If it is too thick, add a drop or two of water as needed. Keep adding water to reach the desired consistency, but do not add too muchwater or the filling will be too thin.

Alternatively if the mixture is too thin, add a few tablespoons of confection­ers' sugar.

Assemble the Salt-N-Pepper Sandwich Cookies

Use a pastry bag or a small spoon to apply about 2 tablespoons of filling to the flat side of a cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeatuntil all the sandwich cookies are made. Let them set up for about 15 minutes before serving. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Malted Milk Sandwich Cookies
Adapted from Baked Explorations
I didn't have any malted milk powder so I just left it out and while I'm sure it would make for a delicious cookie, my batch did not suffer without it. 


For the cookies:
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup malt powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 


For the vanilla filling:
5 ounces vegetable shortening, at room temperature
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small chunks, at room temperature
3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon light rum


To make the cookies
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, malt, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. 


In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until just incorporated. Add half of the dry ingredients all at once and beat for 15 seconds. Again, scrape down the bowl, then add the remaining dry ingredients and beat until just incorporated. The mixture should come together almost in a ball. 

Loosely shape the dough into two balls, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. 


Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.


Divide each dough ball in half, to make four portions. Place one portion on a lightly flour-dusted work surface and return the other three to the refrigerator. 


Roll out the dough so that it is ¼ inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so you may have to flip and lightly flour it a few times while you work. Use a 2-inch round cookie cutter to create the sandwich tops and bottoms, and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space around each cookie. Extra dough scraps can be refrigerated and rerolled once more, if desired.


Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes (mine took 7 min), or until they are just slightly browned.


Place the baking sheets on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the cookies to the racks to cool completely. While the cookies cool, prepare the filling. 

To make the vanilla filling

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening and butter until lump free and smooth. Add the sugar in three parts, mixing each part until just combined. Add the salt, vanilla, and rum and beat again for 10 seconds. The filling should be thick but spreadable (like the inside of an Oreo). If it is too thick, add a drop or two of water as needed. Keep adding water to reach desired consistency, but do not add too much water or the filling will be too thin.

Alternatively if the mixture is too thin, add a few tablespoons of confectioners’ sugar.  

To assemble the malted milk sandwich cookies

Use a pastry bag or a small spoon to apply about 2 tablespoons of filling to the flat side of a cookie. Place another cookie, flat side down, on top. Press down slightly so that the filling spreads to the edges of the cookie. Repeat until all the sandwich cookies are made. Let them set up for about 15 minutes before serving. Store the cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.