Christmas Cookie Week: Peppermint Patties And a Giveaway!

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No, not that Peppermint Patty but these cookies are in the form of a sandwich. Susan Reid, the editor of Sift Magazine at King Arthur Flour got this special week off to a festive start when she told Tonia's Kitchen about her recipe for Peppermint Sandwich Cookies. And these are a treat!  Susan says to help make the filling, she browns butter and adds some confectioners sugar to help make a delicious, and seasonally winter-looking cookie that everyone from the young to the young-at-heart will want to eat!

NOW HEAR THIS: It being Christmas Cookie Week here at Tonia's Kitchen, we are pleased and proud to offer our listeners a chance to win a Three Book Set from Sift Magazine and King Arthur Flour, and entering couldn't be easier. Just email tonia@toniaskitchen.com with your name and the best way to contact you.  Good luck and enjoy the cookies!

Dough

• 16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Filling

• 8 tablespoons (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
• 3 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract or 1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Oil
• 1 cup crushed candy canes or Swedish pearl sugar for rolling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. To make the dough: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, baking powder, and salt until fluffy.
3. Add the vanilla and flour and mix until combined. Scoop the dough into 1" balls weighing 3/8 ounce (10.5g) each.
4. Place the dough balls onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2" between them. Use the bottom of a glass dipped in sugar to flatten the balls to about 1/4" thick.
5. Bake the cookies until they're light brown around the edges, 9 to 11 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool on the pan on a rack.
6. To make the filling: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat until it separates and starts to simmer. Cook until the liquid portion of the butter is clear, not cloudy. There will be foamy-looking solids floating in the butter; that's okay. If they start to brown, turn the heat down.
7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the shortening, confectioners' sugar, salt, and melted butter. Mix until the filling comes together; add the vanilla and peppermint extracts.
8. To assemble: Turn half the cookies over. Take a tablespoon of filling, roll it into a ball, and flatten it into a 2" disk. Place on the bottom of one cookie and top with a second, pressing down gently.
9. Roll the edges of the cookies in the crushed candy canes (or pearl sugar).
10. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week; freeze for longer storage.