Dawns Easy Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies Recipes

RED VELVET SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the cookies: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the flour mixture in 2 additions. Add the food coloring and beat until combined. Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead a few times. Roll into a 10-inch-long, 1-inch-diameter log; wrap in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Pulse the coconut, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla in a food processor until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Remove the dough from the freezer and unwrap. Slice the dough into 1/4-inch-thick rounds and arrange about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets. Bake until the cookies are firm around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes. Let cool 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
• Spread about 1 teaspoon of the filling on the flat side of half of the cookies, then sandwich with the remaining cookies.
• Cook's Note: If the dough feels dry after you beat in the food coloring, beat in up to 2 more tablespoons softened butter until the dough stays together when pinched and is kneadable.

RED VELVET SANDWICH COOKIES

Steps:

• For the cookies: Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and 1/8 teaspoon salt into a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a large bowl if using a hand mixer) on medium speed just until combined. Beat in the egg yolk just until combined. Beat in the food coloring and vanilla until the color is evenly distributed, scraping down the bowl as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture. Beat just until the dough comes together. Form the dough into two 1-inch-thick disks, wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Lightly dust a sheet of parchment paper with flour. Unwrap one disk, place it on the paper and cover with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Peel off the plastic wrap and, using a 2 1/2-inch round cookie or biscuit cutter, cut the dough into rounds. Place them on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1 inch apart (about 12 cookies per sheet). Gather the scraps, chill until firm, roll again and cut. Repeat with the remaining disk.
• Bake the cookies until set and brick-red, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the filling: Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or a medium bowl if using a hand mixer), beat the butter on medium speed until light and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt and beat until smooth and fully incorporated. Refrigerate the filling until it is slightly firm, about 2 hours.
• To assemble the cookies, put a heaping teaspoon of filling on a cookie and top with another cookie, gently pressing to spread the filling to the edge of the cookies.