Spusht: Vanilla Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Filling

After making these eggless sandwich cookies when I sent the picture to my friend, the first thing she asked was if these were burgers. When I sent it to my brother, he asked if these were idli. Oh my. If only people could taste food from a photo!

Lovely vanilla cookies, with a subtle hint of orange flavor through the zest, the chocolate-y center that you'd want to lick, the crunch in these mildly sweet cookies when eating, and the fun in making them. Can only be described for now.

You'd want to get to baking them right away. The ingredients for these Vanilla Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Filling are fairly easy to find at home if you do bake occasionally.

Eggless Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Filling Recipe

Adapted from Isa Chandra's Vegan Milano Cookie Recipe

Makes about 20 individual or 10 sandwiched cookies

⅓ cup 2% or whole milk (or you can use vegan milk)
¾ cup sugar

½ cup canola oil
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp finely grated orange zest
2 cup all-purpose flour + a little more for dusting
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

~1 cup semisweet or milk chocolate (chopped or chocolate chips)

Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

1. In a large mixing bowl sift 1½ cup of flour + cornstarch + baking powder + salt and mix. Make a well in the center, add milk + sugar + oil + vanilla + orange zest, stir and mix with the flour mixture. Add the remaining flour as needed and mix until you have a soft, pliable dough. Don't over-knead the dough. Preheat oven to 350F so by the time you divide cookie dough your oven will be ready.

2. Take a small portion of dough (about 1 Tbsp; I took a little too much) and roll it into a ball. If you want to make round cookies, flatten the dough between your palms. If you want oblong shaped cookies, roll into a log, flatten between palms to create an oval shape. Adjust the shape as needed. Dust your palms with flour every once in a while to avoid dough sticking, continue forming shapes with the rest of the dough and place on the prepared cookie sheet with a little spacing (they don’t spread much...no baking soda in ingredients, you see). I did not flatten them enough (I should have) and got 16 individual cookies. You could easily get 20-22 cookies depending on the shape, size, and thickness you make.

3. Bake your cookies for 14 to 16 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheet halfway through for even baking if required (everyone’s ovens are different). Start keeping an eye at about 12 minutes. You want the top of cookies firm and edges golden-brown or just slightly light brown. Remove cookie sheet from oven and let the cookies rest on sheet for couple of minutes. Using a spatula transfer cookies to a cooling rack.

4. While your cookies cool down, it's a good time to melt your chocolate (on double-boiler or in microwave, up to you) and let it come to a warm state (not hot & liquidy). When cookies almost cool down (in about 10-15 minutes), spoon a little melted chocolate on the flat side of one cookie and cover with another one gently pressing together. If you press too much the chocolate will ooze out from the sides.

5. Feel free to leave the eggless sandwich cookies in refrigerator for half an hour for the chocolate to set or leave it at room temperature for an hour. Or pounce on them right away.