Vanilla Sandwich Cookies are crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, and bursting with tons of real vanilla flavor ~ this easy cookie recipe is a hit with adults and kids alike.
Holiday cookies can inspire memories for a lifetime
I’m inspired by the memory of a big box of homemade cookies that was delivered to our doorstep every December when I was growing up. My mother’s best friend packed an unbelievable variety of cookies into a huge box, the kind meant for a bathrobe, or a coat. Each treat was nested in it’s own little space and the finished product looked like a tantalizing mosaic of delights. I suppose it’s possible that my memory is embellishing this vision of Christmases past, but in those days women really did have a little more time on their hands to devote to holiday baking, and some of them went all out.
These vanilla cookies have a surprisingly complex flavor
I’m starting off my virtual cookie box with plain vanilla. The cookie itself is flecked with vanilla bean seeds, and the filling has an extra shot of vanilla extract just so you don’t miss the point. I’ve even included a chocolate filling for you types who just can’t help yourself when it comes to chocolate.
Filled cookies are fun, but I wouldn’t normally go to the trouble. But that’s what the holiday baking season is all about, going one or two steps beyond the everyday. And these cookies are worth it. And if chocolate is more your thing, try my Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies or my Nutella Sandwich Cookies.
TIP: These vanilla sandwich cookies are nice and sturdy, so they make a good choice for giving and shipping.
The cookie itself is a little crunchy, a little chewy. The fillings are so much fresher and richer than anything you’d find ready made. Go ahead and fill them as full as you want.
TIP: The filling is infinitely variable, add a teaspoon of instant espresso to the vanilla filling for a delicious coffee flavor. Or add almond extract, or a touch of food coloring. Substitute peppermint extract for the vanilla extract in the chocolate filling. Have fun with them!
Other Christmas treats to check out:
- Pfeffernusse
- Soft Glazed Gingerbread Cookies
- Maple Glazed Oatmeal Cookies
- Traditional Swedish Pepparkakor
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Vanilla on Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp baking powder
wet ingredients
- 3/4 cup 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
- 2 large eggs
vanilla filling
- 1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- milk or cream for thinning
chocolate filling
- 1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- milk or cream for thinning
Instructions
- set oven to 375F
- In a small bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Set aside.
- Cream the butter, then beat in the sugar and vanilla bean seeds and beat until creamy.
- Beat in the eggs and blend well. Then add the dry ingredients and mix until just blended.
- Using a small scoop (1 inch) drop the dough on a parchment lined cookie sheet, 3 inches apart (these cookies will spread a bit).
- Bake for about 10 minutes until the cookies are lightly golden around the edges. Cool on the pan for a couple of minutes before moving them to a cooling rack.
- Fill the cooled cookies with the vanilla (or chocolate) filling and sandwich them together, pressing lightly to spread the filling to the edges of the cookie.
- To make the fillings, mix the ingrdients together until smooth and creamy. Add enough milk or cream to get a thick but spreadable consistency.
Notes
Filling variations
- Ready made jam
- Jarred caramel sauceÂ
- Nutella
Mine are not as flat as the pic. They are kinda of puffy actually but still taste great.
Years ago, we would make cookies and candy for Xmas gifts. My friends from the office would come over, everybody bringing supplies and recipes. We would have a marathon day of baking and candy making and everyone would get a variety of goodies to take home. So fun, the good old days
This looks good. Remarkably close to the Pepperidge Farm Milanos? I’ve been wanting a recipe close to those and this might be it.
These were delicious and adorable. Nice job!
Yum! These look dangerous, like the kind of cookie I would eat too many of before I realize how many I’ve had.
Love the little virtual cookie box! How fun! 🙂
I think the reason I usually don’t make sandwich cookies like this is that, when you break down and eat one, you’ve actually eaten two!
The chocolate buttercream called me, too 🙂
What a terrific idea Sue! I love to bake at the holidays and am even happier when they are gone so I’ll quit eating them all! Lovely cookie and the chocolate buttercream is really calling to me – by name 🙂 Love the virtual cookie box. So creative.
Cute idea! I can’t wait to see what else gets packed into your virtual box. Working full time makes it very difficult to bake large varieties of Christmas Cookies. By the time I get the day off I usually have shopping and wrapping to do. I have on occasion frozen some cookie dough to bake at a later date.
Yeah, frozen cookie dough is the way to go. In the past few years my cookie gifts have gotten pretty tiny…I try to make up for it with Martha Stewart type packaging!
These look delicious! I cant wait to make some!
Let me know how they turn out, and if you try a variation!
These look delicious, Sue! The cookies look perfectly thin and crispy chewy. I love all the flavor combinations you mentioned too. Can hardly wait to see your line-up!
Thanks Mary—I really wanted to make the espresso filling so bad, I guess I’ll have to revisit these at some point.