Heavenly Pastel Sandwich Wafers

These pastel Heavenly Sandwich Wafers are a treat for the eyes and are sure to bestow buttery goodness in your mouth. ​ The Skagit Valley Writers League had a fun event to raise awareness of our many activities and opportunities throughout the year. Each critique group provided a writing-related basket for a drawing. One of my groups chose Alice in Wonderland. It was then I remembered I had cookie cutters in the shape of the symbols on playing card suits.  I’d never made pastel cookies before, but I knew this was the time. Although this cookie sandwich recipe calls for colored frosting rather than colored dough, I had to give it a try. Let’s just say, don’t overdo it with the food coloring; work in a little at a time.

Makes 16 to 18 cookie sandwiches   Prep and cook time: 2 hours (includes 1 hour chill time) ​Equipment: mixing bowl, measuring cups and spoons, *rolling pin, pastry cloth, rolling pin cover, and cookie sheets

Dough Ingredients 1 cup butter (room temperature) ⅓ cup whipping cream 2 cups flour ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 or 2 drops of food coloring if desired

Cream Filling Ingredients ¼ cup unsalted butter ¾ cup sifted confectioner’s (powdered) sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon whipping cream 1 or 2 drops of food coloring if desired

​Directions for Dough 1. Mix butter, cream, and flour with a slotted spoon or hands. 2. If coloring the dough, divide it according to the number of colors you’re using. Sprinkle on a little of the coloring and work in until you achieve the desired shade. 3. Cover dough and chill for about 1 hour. (Chill too long and the butter will get too hard in the dough to work.) In the meantime, make the Cream Filling. (See below) 4. Distribute the sugar evenly on a plate. (I use a glass pie plate.) 5. Preheat oven to 350°. 6. Sprinkle some flour on the pastry cloth and rolling pin cover. 7. Using a third of the dough at a time, roll out to ⅛ inch thickness.  8. Cut cookie shapes. Roll dough scraps into a ball and cut more cookies. Be sure to cut complete pairs of shapes to make the sandwiches. 9. Using a spatula, transfer cookies to the sugar plate. Lightly press each side of the cookie into the sugar. 10. Transfer the cookies to ungreased baking sheets. Prick each cookie with a fork a couple of times. 11. Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until they are set but not brown.  12. Transfer cookies to plates or flat trays lined with paper towels and cool. * I recently purchased a Joseph Joseph Adjustable Rolling Pin with silicon rings. It helps to keep the dough at the correct thickness, and I love that. Cream Filling Directions 1. Cream butter, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla together. 2. Tint with food coloring if desired. 3. Add more cream if needed for the right spreading consistency.  (If the filling is too stiff, it will break the cookie.) 4. Spread on one side of a pair of cookies for cookie sandwiches. Place on a pretty plate and watch them disappear faster than the Cheshire cat.

​I hope you enjoy this dish. Let me know if you’ve tried it and how it turned out.

Good cooking to you,

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