It’s that Christmas cookie time of the year and today we’re baking up shortbread cookie sandwiches! While shopping at our favorite kitchen store, The Kitchen Table, we came across these beautiful rolling pins and knew we had to make some cookies with them. These embossed rolling pins make beautiful cookies that are perfect for gifting this holiday season. They can be filled with pretty much anything you like…we chose chocolate with caramel and chocolate with raspberry jam to fill our shortbread cookie sandwiches but you could use any flavor of jam you like or even a flavored buttercream.

We used shortbread dough with these lovely embossed rolling pins because a drier dough holds the pattern better during baking. Freezing the cut out cookies may seem superfluous but don’t skip this step! It also really helps the pattern set so it stays while baking. Your shortbread cookie sandwiches will be the most coveted at your cookie exchange!

We hope your days are full of baking delicious treats and that you’re enjoying the holiday season!

Embossed rolling pins make the most beautiful cookies!

Roll dough out to about 1/4″ with regular rolling pin, then take a final pass with the embossed pin. Cut to desired shapes.

Bake until the edges become very lightly browned.

Fill with your choice of chocolate, caramel, jam or a combination.

Filled, set and ready to enjoy!

Your friends and family will be so impressed!

Embossed Shortbread Sandwich Cookies

Shortbread:

• 2 cups (9 oz) flour
• ¾ tsp salt
• 1 cup (8 oz) best quality unsalted butter, soft
• ½ cup (2.13 oz) confectioner’s sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Filling:

• 5 oz good quality dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 tsp solid vegetable shortening
• Raspberry or other flavor of jam (optional)
• Salted Caramel, purchased or homemade (optional)

For Shortbread:

Whisk together flour and salt.  In mixer, beat butter 3 minutes until very light.  Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, another 2 minutes.  Beat in vanilla.  Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just incorporated.  Turn out dough and form 2 disks.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

Remove dough disks from refrigerator and allow to warm to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Roll one disk at a time to about 1/4” thick.  If using embossed rolling pin, roll dough a tad thicker with regular rolling pin. We find it easiest to roll the dough between two pieces of parchment.

Once you have achieved the desired thickness, peel off top layer of parchment and replace with a fresh piece. Flip the dough over (fresh piece of parchment is now on the bottom of the dough) and peel off top parchment. Generously flour the top surface of rolled dough, then, using even pressure, roll embossed rolling pin over the dough. Cut out using desired cookie cutters (we used 2 ¼” fluted round and star cutters, but you can cut them to any size or shape desired) and place about 1” apart on parchment lined cookie sheet. Freeze for at least 20 minutes. At this point, cookies can be frozen in an airtight container between layers of parchment for up to 30 days and baked off as needed)

While cookies chill, heat oven to 350.   Bake one sheet at a time for 12-15 minutes until light brown around the edges, rotating sheet 180 degrees half-way through baking time. Cool completely on baking sheet.

For Filling:

Melt chocolate and shortening in a small bowl over a pot of simmering water. Remove bowl from over water just before all of the chocolate is completely melted. Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently until chocolate thickens slightly. Fill a pastry bag or small zip lock bag with the melted chocolate.

If you want to make your own salted caramel filling, the easiest method is to melt about 14 store bought caramels in 2 TBS of heavy cream over medium low heat. Stir until caramels are completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and add ¼ tsp of salt. Allow to cool about 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Fill a pastry bag or small zip lock with the caramel.

If using jam, place about ¼ cup in pastry bag or small zip lock bag.

To Fill Cookies:

Match up the cookies into pairs and place on parchment lined sheet pan with one cookie bottom up and one top up. Cut each pastry bag or a corner of each zip lock you are using to make a small hole. Pipe the chocolate into a large circle on the cookie that is bottom side up. If you want to fill the cookies with just chocolate, fill the circle in completely. If you are using the jam or caramel, leave a hole in the center about ¾” in diameter. Pipe your preferred filling into the center of the chocolate and top with second cookie. Press lightly on the top cookie to secure the filling. Allow the chocolate to set up at room temperature for about an hour before serving or storing.

Filled cookies will keep well at cool room temperature in an air-tight container between layers of parchment for about 2 weeks. Unfilled, baked shortbread cookies keep fine in an air-tight container at room temperature for about a month.

Makes about 20 – 2 ¼” sandwich cookies