Ingredients
Check off ingredients as you go
For about 40 cookies (20 sandwich cookies)
- 2 egg yolks
- 160g (1¼ cups) powdered sugar
- 1 packet vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
- 500g (4 cups) sifted flour
- 240g (1 cup) soft butter or 200g (¾ cup + 2 tbsp) sunflower oil + 40ml (2½ tbsp) water
- 1 pinch of salt
- 5g (1 tsp) baking powder (optional)
- To fill the cookies
- 150g (½ cup) chocolate spread or jam
Whisk the egg yolks with the powdered sugar and vanilla sugar in a mixing bowl until smooth, then add the soft butter (or oil and water). Add the flour and baking powder and mix everything together (use the paddle attachment if making the dough in a stand mixer).
Form a ball with your hands. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least one hour. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out to about 0.5-0.7 cm (¼ inch) thickness. Cut with cookie cutters to create your desired shapes. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden (timing should be adjusted based on your oven and the thickness of your cookies).
Let cool completely, then spread a teaspoon of chocolate spread or jam of your choice on one cookie before topping with a second cookie to make a sandwich.
Tips and Variations
- For chocolate shortbread cookies, you can add 3 level tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dough.
- You can also add the zest of one organic orange at the same time as the vanilla sugar.
- Don’t throw away your egg whites - you can make lovely financiers in just a few minutes.