There are cookies… then there are sandwich cookies. Each of these sandwich cookies feature two PEANUTS™ shortbread cookies, a cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream, and strawberry jam. Each bite tastes like you’re eating strawberry cheesecake.
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookies
227g(1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
115g(1 cup) powdered sugar
1tbspvanilla extract
260g(2 cups and 3 tbsp) all-purpose flour
1/2tspsalt
Cream Cheese Swiss Meringue Buttercream
60g(~ 1 1/2) egg whites, room temperature
70g(1/3 cup) granulated sugar
115g(1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
4tbspcream cheese, room temperature
1tspvanilla extract
1/2tsp salt
1/2cupstore-bought or homemade strawberry jam
Instructions
Shortbread Cookies
Preheat oven to 350F and line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together butter, powdered sugar and vanilla at medium speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until combined.
In between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out dough to ¼-inch in thickness. Lightly flour the cookie stamp/cutter and press. Transfer cut outs to prepared baking sheet, placing cookies 2 inches apart.
Transfer the baking sheet to the freezer for 10 minutes. Freezing cut out cookies before baking will help preserve the design and shape of the cookies.
Bake until the edges are lightly golden brown, about 12 – 14 minutes.
Remove from oven and allow cookies to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack to cool completely.
Cheesecake Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Place the egg whites and sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Whisk by hand to combine. Place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water set on medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water. Heat, whisking often, until the mixture until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture hot to the touch.
Transfer the egg white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fixed with a whisk attachment. Whisk, on medium-high speed, for 5 - 6 minutes, or until the mixture holds stiff peaks. The bowl should no longer be hot to the touch and the meringue should be glossy and cool.
Stop the mixer and swap the whisk attachment for the paddle attachment.
Add in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it is all incorporated.
Add in the cream cheese, vanilla, and salt. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until the buttercream is thick and silky smooth, 5 more minutes. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with an open star tip.
Assembly
Turn over half of the cookies, they will be the bottom cookies.
Pipe a ring of cream cheese buttercream on the bottom cookie. This will act as a barrier for the jam centers.
Take half a heaping tablespoon of jam and fill the centre. Sandwich the top cookie and press lightly. Repeat with remaining cookies until all cookies are filled.