Description
Delight in these colorful Sandwich Sugar Cookies—soft, buttery treats bursting with vibrant gel food coloring and filled with a smooth, creamy vanilla filling. Perfect for parties or festive gatherings, these cookies combine a tender crumb with a sweet, luscious center.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Gel food coloring (pink, yellow, green, blue, purple)
Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Begin by setting your oven to 350°F (175°C) and prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Cream butter and sugar: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, which usually takes about 3-4 minutes.
- Add egg and vanilla: Crack in the egg and pour the vanilla extract, then mix well until completely combined, ensuring a smooth batter.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to evenly distribute the leavening agents and salt.
- Mix dry and wet ingredients: Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet mixture, mixing slowly to avoid flour clouds and to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add milk: Pour in the milk and mix until the dough comes together into a soft, pliable texture.
- Color the dough: Divide the dough into separate portions based on how many colors you want. Add a small amount of gel food coloring to each portion and knead until the color is uniformly distributed.
- Shape the cookies: Roll tablespoon-sized balls from each colored dough and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart to allow space for spreading.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the edges are set and the tops have slight cracks, indicating they are perfectly baked.
- Cool cookies: Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely to prevent melting the filling later.
- Make the filling: Beat the softened butter, powdered sugar, heavy cream (or milk), vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt together until the filling is light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Assemble sandwich cookies: Pair cookies of similar size and spread a generous amount of filling on the flat side of one cookie, then gently press its matching cookie on top. Let them set for about 10 minutes to allow the filling to firm up.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without affecting the dough’s consistency.
- Ensure cookies are completely cool before filling to prevent melting the filling.
- For a dairy-free version, substitute butter with vegan butter and heavy cream with coconut cream.
- Store the sandwich cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Rolling dough balls evenly ensures uniform baking and color distribution.
