7/7/14

walnut-cream cheese sandwich cookies

I just love exploring new recipes that actually incorporate a finely ground up nuts into the flour.
I mean flour on it's own is so tasteless, so adding in ground up nuts is perfect.
Toasted walnuts have such nice flavor on it's own, so you can imagine how good they are when ground up.
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If you don't like walnuts, I bet pecans would work well; might be a little greasy, but reduce the butter by a couple tablespoons, you should be good?
These cookies are really good on their own, you don't have to make the sandwich filling.
Speaking of the filling, I've found an easier way to fill the cookies.
I wrap the filling in plastic wrap or parchment paper, chill, then slice and fill.  So much easier than
spreading the filling via a knife or piping bag.  So keep this in mind for future sandwich fillings.
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The recipe doesn't call for it, but I added in a couple handfuls of chopped walnuts to the filling.
Of course you don't have to do this, but it was a great way to add in a little texture.
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walnut cream cheese sandwich cookies
From The Sweet Life by Kate Zuckerman
print recipe

for the cookies
1 cup walnuts (make sure they are toasted walnuts)
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 ts salt
16 TB (two sticks) unsalted butter, room temp
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg, at room temperature

for the filling
4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
4 TB unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
(I added in a couple handfuls of chopped walnuts to filling, optional)

cook notes:
Please use toasted walnuts.  The flavor that a toasted walnut adds instead of a plain one is huge.  If you don’t like walnuts, you can try pecans?

Combine the walnuts and 1 tablespoon of the flour in a food processor and grind to a fine powder. Place in a bowl then add in the remaining flour, salt, and mix; set aside.
In a mixer or hand mixer, cream the butter and the sugar. You want to cream it till it’s nice and fluffy/lighter in color. Add the egg and continue to beat until it is fully incorporated and the batter looks nice and smooth (about 2 minutes).
Add the dry mixture, to the butter mixture and using a rubber spatula mix until combined.  You can do this with your mixer.  Take the dough and divide in half.  Place in plastic wrap or parchment paper; fold or roll into uniform logs, about
1 1/2 inches in diameter. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
While dough is chilling you can make the filling.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and using a hand mixer or stand mixer cream until all is mixed and has lightened in color and formed stiff peaks.  At the last mixing I added in a couple handfuls of chopped walnuts; this of course is optional but I wanted some texture in the filling.
When ready to bake the cookies, preheat the oven to 350° F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut as many 1/8-1/4 inch slices from each log of dough as possible and place the cookies on prepared cookie sheets. Bake the cookies until golden brown about 12-15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool completely before adding the filling.
To fill the cookies you can either place the filling in a piping bag, plastic bag with edge snipped off, or use a knife to spread.  I poured/formed the filling into plastic wrap, chilled it till firm, then sliced it. So much easier!  But do what you feel comfortable with.

8 comments:

  1. I'm nut obsessed and love working them into treats. Cookies with filling are always my fave!

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  2. these look so great! i want to call them hearty but i don't think you call cookies hearty so i'll just call them good :)

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  3. I love walnuts, I love cream cheese, and I love how chunky these sandwich cookies are!

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  4. We love toasted nuts, particularly walnuts, in place of flour in some recipes (toasted nuts make a particularly nice pie crust). Love the idea of these sandwich cookies! Very clever -- thanks.

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  5. Great idea to use ground walnuts instead of flour for flavour! These look terrific.

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  6. I like cookies with nuts too, any kind, but must confess I like the sweetness of pecans better than walnuts. Live walnuts in savory cookies though.
    Re Bora Bora....my daughter and I went to several islands in French Polynesia...check my sidebar for details. Lost lots of the photos because I'm an idiot. :) Huahine was by far our favorite.
    Your tomato hand pies, which we loved, will be posted Monday. Great recipe!

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  7. i love walnuts--they're my favorite common nut (if you will). these sandwiches are fantastic.

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  8. Ooo good idea about the filling! If it works with the dough, then why not the buttercream?!

    I think I've only ever seen almonds in cookies like this...but walnuts sound like a fun nut to branch out to!

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