Granny's Vanilla Sammies

Time :1 10

Yield :20 servings

Recipe Background

Perfect for tea parties or when you simply want a beautifully delicious treat, Granny's Vanilla Sammies are just lovely for any occasion! Biting into the homemade cookies, which are rich with buttery, vanilla flavors, is really something special. Don't get us started on the rich and creamy vanilla filling squished between them. They're such a delight! Granny's Vanilla Sammies always brighten our day!

Ingredients

For the vanilla cookies:

2/3 cup unsalted butter room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans scraped
1 egg
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bitter almond extract optional, can substitute 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the vanilla cream filling:

1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 vanilla beans scraped

Directions

In a large bowl, add 2/3 cup of the butter, the granulated sugar, and the seeds from 2 of the vanilla beans and use an electric hand mixer to whip on high speed until it is pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
Add the egg to the butter mixture and mix until it is well-combined.
Add the flour, the salt, and the almond extract to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until it is combined.
Lay down a sheet of plastic wrap on a work surface, then place the cookie dough in the center.
Use your hands to form the dough into a square, then tightly wrap it with the plastic wrap.
Place the wrapped cookie dough in the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two or three cooking sheets with parchment paper. Lay one sheet of parchment paper on a clean work surface.
Discard the plastic wrap from the cookie dough, then place it in the center of the parchment paper on the work surface. Top with a second sheet of parchment paper.
Use a rolling pin to gently roll the dough in between the parchment paper sheets until it is about 1/4-inch-thick.
Discard the parchment paper over the cookie dough, then use a 2-inch-wide cookie cutter to cut out the cookies.
Evenly place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets, leaving about 1 inch in between each. Roll up the remaining dough and repeat the cutting process until all of the dough is used.
Bake the cookies in batches, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the cookies cool.
Transfer the cookies to the wire rack and let them cool completely.
While the cookies are cooling, in a second large bowl, add the remaining butter, the confectioners' sugar, and the remaining seeds from the vanilla beans and use a clean electric hand mixer to mix until it is pale, fluffy, and has doubled in volume, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the vanilla cream filling into a piping bag fitted with a round or star piping tip.
Flip 1/2 of the cookies over then evenly and gently squeeze the vanilla cream filling onto each of them, leaving an 1/8-inch border.
Place the remaining cookies on top of the vanilla-cream-topped cookies and gently push down to push the cream to the edges.
Serve.