Description
Decadent Chocolate Raspberry Sandwich Cookies featuring rich bittersweet cocoa cookies filled with a luscious chocolate ganache and tart raspberry jam. These elegant sandwich cookies are perfect for special occasions or as an indulgent treat, combining a deep chocolate flavor with a hint of espresso and a vibrant raspberry surprise inside.
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 4 oz good quality bittersweet chocolate (60-70%), finely chopped
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Ganache and Filling
- 4 oz good quality chocolate, finely chopped (mix of 35% milk and 76% bittersweet recommended)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons Chambord or other raspberry-flavored liqueur (optional)
- ¼ cup raspberry jam
Instructions
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: Whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and instant espresso powder in a medium bowl; set aside for later use.
- Melt Chocolate: Gently melt the chopped bittersweet chocolate using a double boiler or microwave at 50% power in 20-second increments until just melted. Allow to cool slightly before use.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is lightened and somewhat fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Lower mixer speed to low and add eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the bowl, then increase speed to medium-high for 30 seconds until the batter lightens slightly in color. Mix in vanilla extract.
- Incorporate Melted Chocolate: Pour the lukewarm melted chocolate into the batter and mix on low speed, scraping the bowl well until the batter turns uniform in color.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add the dry flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
- Chill Dough: Press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the dough’s surface and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until it firms enough to handle.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Sheets: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Scoop and Shape Cookies: Using a small cookie scoop (about 20g or 1 tablespoon), scoop dough rounds onto baking sheets spaced 2-3 inches apart. Flatten dough balls slightly into puck shapes to help even spreading.
- Bake Cookies: Bake cookies for approximately 8 minutes until tops are puffed and no longer shiny.
- Shape Cookies: Immediately after baking, use a round cookie cutter slightly larger than the cookie diameter to perfect the edges by swirling around each warm cookie. Cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough to yield ~44 cookies.
- Make Ganache: Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream in a saucepan until it just bubbles around edges (do not boil). Pour warm cream over chocolate and let sit 30 seconds. Whisk slowly from the center outward until smooth and emulsified. Stir in Chambord if using.
- Cool Ganache: Allow ganache to cool at room temperature, whisking gently every 10 minutes until it thickens to peanut butter consistency (~45 minutes). Alternatively, refrigerate and whisk every 5 to 10 minutes to speed cooling. Transfer ganache to a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch round tip. Place raspberry jam in a second piping bag with a ¼-inch round tip or keep for spooning.
- Assemble Sandwich Cookies: Pair cookies by size, flipping one cookie in each pair upside down on a baking sheet. Pipe a ring of ganache on the flat side of half of the cookies, then fill the center with about 1 teaspoon of raspberry jam. Lightly press the second cookie on top, avoiding squeezing out the filling. Refrigerate sandwiches until ganache is set.
- Storage: Store assembled cookies in an airtight container refrigerated for up to one week.
Notes
- Using high-quality chocolate significantly enhances the flavor of both cookies and ganache.
- If Chambord or raspberry liqueur is unavailable or undesired, omit it without affecting the overall taste too much.
- Pressing the cookie cutter around warm cookies helps achieve perfect round edges as the dough spreads unevenly.
- Keep dough chilled; warm dough will be difficult to shape and spread may be uneven.
- Ensure eggs and butter are at room temperature for proper batter incorporation and texture.
- Gentle whisking during ganache cooling helps maintain smooth texture and prevents graininess.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes per batch (about 16 minutes total for two baking sheets)
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
