Snowflake Sandwich Cookies with Eggnog Spice Filling
Serves: approximately 18
 
Ingredients
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup blanched almond flour
  • 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • Eggnog Spice Filling (recipe follows)
  • ½ cup white melting wafers*
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable shortening
  • Garnish: gold sugar pearls
Instructions
  1. In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, brown sugar, almond flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Using a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add milk, stirring just until moist crumbs form when pinched together with fingers.
  2. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead mixture until a smooth dough forms. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 3 hours.
  3. Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
  4. Working with half of dough at a time on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a ⅛ -inch thickness. (If dough cracks when rolled, knead together a few times.) Using a floured 3½-inch snowflake-shaped cutter, cut as many cookies as possible from dough, rerolling scraps as necessary. (For easier handling, wrap and refrigerate scraps before rerolling, approximately 20 minutes.) Place cookies 1 inch apart on prepared baking sheets.
  5. Bake until edges of cookies are golden brown, 11 to 13 minutes. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to wire racks. Let cool completely.
  6. Heat melting wafers according to package directions. Add shortening, stirring until incorporated. Transfer wafer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a very small round tip (Wilton #3). Pipe desired snowflake design onto half of cookies. Garnish with gold sugar pearls, if desired. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.
  7. Place Eggnog Spice Filling in a piping bag fitted with a small star tip (Wilton #18). Pipe filling onto bottoms of plain cookies, outlining snowflake shape first and then filling in. Top each with a decorated cookie. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
Notes
MAKE-AHEAD TIP: Cookies can be baked up to 3 weeks ahead, placed in an airtight container with layers separated by wax paper, and frozen. Let thaw and come to room temperature before decorating and filling.
Recipe by TeaTime Magazine at https://teatimemagazine.com/snowflake-sandwich-cookies-with-eggnog-spice-filling/