Golden Butter Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
¾ cup packed light brown sugar (the secret to that beautiful golden color!)
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
Coarse sparkling sugar or white sanding sugar (mandatory for that "snowfall" crunch!)
For the Silky Vanilla Center:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
1–2 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk
Instructions:
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Pour your coarse sparkling sugar into a shallow bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until pale, light, and perfectly creamy (about 2–3 minutes). Mix in the egg and vanilla extract.
Gradually add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix on low speed just until a soft, golden dough forms.
Scoop the dough and roll it into 1 ½-inch balls. Gently flatten each ball slightly in the palm of your hand, then press the top of each cookie generously into the coarse sparkling sugar so it sticks to the surface.
Place the dough balls, sugar-side up, onto your prepared baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches of space between each.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until the edges are beautifully golden and set, but the centers remain soft and tender. Let the cookies rest on the hot baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, make your filling! In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and heavy cream, beating on high until you have an incredibly light, fluffy, snow-white frosting.
Once the cookies are totally cool, spread or pipe a thick, generous layer of that silky vanilla filling onto the flat bottom of one cookie. Gently press a second cookie on top to create a perfect, sparkling sandwich. Grab a glass of cold milk and enjoy!
Prep time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 12 minutes
Yield: About 12–14 large sandwich cookies
Lorie
Yummy!!
3 hours 22 minutes ago
