Description
These Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich Cookies combine rich cocoa-infused chocolate cookies with a luscious raspberry cream cheese frosting. Perfectly balanced between sweet and tart, these sandwich cookies are a delightful treat for any occasion, featuring a fudgy texture and a fresh berry twist in the creamy filling.
Ingredients
Scale
Chocolate Cookies
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips, semi-sweet or dark
Raspberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (not frozen in syrup)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 oz full-fat cream cheese, brick style
- 1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until combined to create a smooth base for the cookie dough.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together until the mixture is fluffy and light, ensuring a tender cookie texture.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Beat in the room temperature egg and vanilla extract until fully incorporated, which adds moisture and flavor.
- Combine Flour Mixture: With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture about half at a time, mixing until just combined. The dough will be sticky.
- Fold in Chocolate Chips: Stir in the semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips evenly throughout the dough to provide chocolate bursts in each cookie.
- Chill Dough: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough for 3 hours or overnight to allow the flavors to meld and improve dough handling.
- Preheat Oven and Prep Sheets: When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Shape Cookies: Form dough balls about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons in size (slightly smaller than a golf ball) and place 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets, typically yielding about 28 cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the tops look set but still soft. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a cooling rack.
- Prepare Raspberry Puree: Add raspberries to a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth, then press the puree through a fine metal sieve to remove seeds using the back of a spoon.
- Reduce Raspberry Puree: Transfer the seedless puree to a small saucepan over low heat and bring to a gentle boil, stirring constantly. Continue boiling until the puree thickens to a jam-like consistency, then let it cool completely.
- Make Frosting Base: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth, then beat in the cream cheese until creamy and well combined.
- Add Powdered Sugar and Salt: With the mixer on low speed, mix in about 1 cup powdered sugar and salt thoroughly.
- Incorporate Raspberry Puree: Mix in 1 tablespoon of the cooled reduced raspberry puree completely, then gradually add the remaining powdered sugar in ½ cup increments, blending in an additional tablespoon of raspberry puree as you go until the frosting reaches desired sweetness and texture.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Spread about 1 tablespoon of raspberry cream cheese frosting on the bottom of one cookie, then top with a second cookie to form a sandwich. Repeat to make about 14 sandwiches in total.
Notes
- Chilling the cookie dough is essential for texture and flavor development. Prepare the dough the night before and refrigerate it overnight if possible.
- If short on time, substitute fresh raspberry puree with 1-2 tablespoons of seedless raspberry preserves or jam, skipping the reducing step of the puree.
- Store the assembled sandwich cookies in the refrigerator because of the fresh fruit frosting; they will stay fresh for 3-4 days.
- Ensure frozen raspberries are not in syrup to avoid affecting frosting consistency and flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 210
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 25g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
