Peppermint Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

Originally I had no expectations for hubby to be home for Christmas (or at least I tried not to get my hopes up) but guess who is coming home EARLY?! As in tomorrow! Couldn’t ask for a better Christmas gift.

Here’s a festive cookie recipe to celebrate:

Peppermint Sugar Cookie Sandwiches
Makes about 3 dozen sandwiches

Cookies:

• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tbsp buttermilk
• 3-4 peppermint candy canes, crushed

Filling:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 2-1/2 cups powdered sugar. sifted
• 3-4 Tbsp heavy cream
• 1 tsp peppermint extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and baking powder and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat to combine. With the beater on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Then mix in a bit of buttermilk only until the dough is soft but not wet.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls and place a couple of inches apart on your baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes until they just start to become golden around the edges. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with candy cane crumbs. Let sit for at least 2 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

For the filling:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter. Then gradually beat in the sugar. Once that is combined, add the peppermint extract. Finally, drizzle in the heavy cream, stopping once you reach your desired consistency. You want it to be spreadable but not runny.

To Assemble:

Once completely cooled, match together similar sized cookies. Pipe or spread the peppermint filling onto one side and sandwich together.

Sugar cookie recipe adapted from here. 

Linking with Two Cup Tues, Treasure Box,