Shelly's Recipe

HAZELNUT-CREAM-STUFFED SNICKERDOODLE SANDWICH COOKIES

Category: Cookies

For the dough
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the coating
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the filling
3/4 cup hazelnuts
1/4 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
pinch salt

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

To prepare the dough
In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth and creamy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix just until combined.

To prepare the coating
In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon.

Scoop out dough using a scant tablespoon cookie scoop to form 24 balls of dough. Dip rounded sides of each ball of dough into the sugar coating, then place, sugar side up, on parchment-lined baking sheets.

Place into the oven and bake, rotating pans halfway though, until the cookies are golden around the edges, about 8 to 11 minutes. Remove (leave oven on) and allow cookies to cool on the pans for two minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare filling
Scatter hazelnuts onto a small baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake until lightly colored and the skins have blistered, about 8 to 15 minutes. Remove and place hot nuts into a kitchen towel and let steam for 3 to 4 minutes. Vigorously rub nuts together in the towel to remove loose skins and allow to cool completely. If some of the skin remains, it is ok.

In a food processor, add hazelnuts and process until finely ground. Add confectioners sugar, butter and pinch of salt. Process mixture until smooth. Evenly spread mixture between the flat bottoms of half the cookies - sandwich with remaining cookies.

Makes 12 sandwich cookies.