Crème-Filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

By Cara Reed

Everyone will enjoy the nostalgia of twisting off the cookie top while trying to keep the filling intact, but will prefer the better taste and ingredients of this freshly baked knock-off. For even more party flare, use festive cookie cutter shapes.

Makes: 12 sandwich cookies
Free of: Gluten and all top allergens

Cookies

• 2 1/2 cups (600 mL) Cara’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend (see below)
• 1/2 cup (120 mL) dark cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6 tbsp maple syrup
• 6 tbsp non-hydrogenated, soy-free shortening
• 2 tbsp dairy-free plain rice or coconut milk beverage*, plus additional if needed
• 1 tbsp unsulphured molasses

Filling

• 1 1/4 cups powdered confectioners’ sugar
• 3 tbsp non-hydrogenated soy-free shortening
• 1 tbsp plain dairy-free rice or coconut milk beverage*, plus additional if needed

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. For the cookies, place flour blend, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine, breaking up clumps. Add maple syrup, shortening, milk beverage and molasses and thoroughly mix with a fork until ingredients are very well combined and crumbly dough begins to form. Bring dough together with hands and gently knead until smooth ball forms. A few crumbs may fall, but if it won’t come together, add milk beverage, 1 teaspoon at a time, just until cohesive.
3. Place dough on a piece of parchment paper, top with a second piece of parchment paper and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut dough into circles (or desired shapes) with a 2-inch (5 -cm) cookie cutter. Carefully move cut dough to the prepared baking sheet and repeat rolling out and cutting remaining dough.
4. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes then remove cookie to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. For the filling, place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine with a mixer on medium speed until very thick and smooth, about 2 minutes. It should be the consistency of Play-Doh. If too crumbly, add milk beverage, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, just until it comes together.
6. Scrape all filling creme into a plastic bag, seal the top and snip 1/2 inch from a bottom corner. Thickly squeeze creme in a circular motion onto a cookie. Gently sandwich another cookie on top. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling.

Cara’s Gluten-Free Flour Blend

• Add 3 cups brown rice flour (preferably superfine), 3 cups sorghum flour (preferably superfine), 1 1/2 cups potato starch and 1 1/2 cups arrowroot starch to a gallon-size plastic gab. Seal and shake vigorously to combine. Pour into an airtight container to store.

*A Note on Coconut
Coconut is technically a fruit. While most allergists do not consider it a tree nut, if you are nut allergic, ask your doctor if coconut is safe for you.

Cara Reed is the author of Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking and recipe creator at www.forkandbeans.com. Recipe reprinted with permission of the publisher, Page Street Publishing Co.