Chewy Chocolate-Raspberry Cookie Sammiches

So my birthday was this weekend. Fart fart blah blah and all that. And, being that I love a good excuse to bake, I decided to try out the Chewy Chocolate Raspberry Cookie recipe from Veganomicon.

But since the dessert was birthday-related, I figured it needed to be a bit bigger. A bit bolder. A bit more celebratory. Translation: Way more sugary and over-the-top. So after brainstorming a bit, and after reading the cookbook's suggestion that you try these cookies out as ice cream sandwiches, I thought to myself: WAIT! SUGARY = FROSTING = COOKIE SAMMICHES! And voila--these cookie sammiches were born.

And seriously: they are the best dessert I've had in forever. In fact, I gave one to one of my instructors to try the other day, and she stopped me in the hallway, with this glazed post-sex crazed glow in her eyes, and said to me: "Oh my god. That was seriously the best thing I've ever eaten." Not "the best dessert." Not "the best thing in the past few months." But the best thing EVER. Which, granted, was probably a *TINY* bit of an exaggeration. But only a tiny one. Because seriously: Screw cake for your birthday. These things will rope-a-dope the shit out of cake until it's too tired out to fight back for that belt.

The chocolate-raspberry cookies are wonderfully subtle-tasting, and AWESOMELY chewy. And the simple flavor of the cookies is balanced out by the completely ridiculous, sugary, decadent filling (from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World) smooshed between them.

Good good stuff.

I post the complete recipe for the cookie sammiches, but if you want to just make the cookies themselves, obviously, just don't whip up the filling. *COUidjitGH*

Sidenote: I was a bit horrified to find this morning that you can find the WHOLE Veganomicon cookbook on-line in pdf form, if you happen to google-search the right terms. I don't know how nor why this is legal, but I'm not posting a link here because I think it's kind of bullshit. I know Isa is a generous gal (and has told me once that she didn't mind me posting a recipe out of VwaV), but THE WHOLE BOOK??? That's crap.

INGREDIENTS:

The Cookies:


• 1 c. raspberry preserves


• 2 c. sugar


• 2/3 c. canola oil


• 2 tsp vanilla extract


• 2 tsp almond extract


• 1 & 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder (sifted if clumpy)


• 3 c. all-purpose flour


• 1.5 tsp baking soda


• 1/4 t. salt


The Filling:


• 1/4 c. vegan margarine (at room temp.)


• 1/4 c. vegan shortening (at room temp.)


• 2.5 c. powdered sugar


• 1/2 c. cocoa powder


• 3 T. soy milk


• 1 t. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the raspberry preserves, sugar, canola oil, vanilla, and almond extract.

In a separate bowl sift together all the other cookie ingredients.

Add the dry to the wet in 3 batches, mixing well with a fork (or your hands) after each addition. When you get to the last batch, you may need to use your hands to work the batter into a soft and pliable dough.

Roll the dough into walnut-size balls and then flatten them with your hands into 2 1/2 inch diameter disks. Place on your cookie sheet (they need to be only 1/2 inch apart because they don’t spread out when baking).

Bake 10 minutes.

While they are baking, make your filling. (I did mine in a food-processor, because I didn't have a beater, but bless my sister's heart, she got me one for my b-day. Anyways, you can make it either which way, depending on what you've got at home.) Place the margarine and shortening in a bowl or in your food processor. Beat or process until blended. Add your vanilla and soy milk and process/beat some more. Add in your cocoa powder and beat/process until combined. Start adding the powdered sugar in small batches, beating/processing after each bit until fully combined (that way it doesn't clump). Once all of it's been added, beat/process until thick and fluffy.

Remove cookies from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Once your cookies are completely cooled, take a cookie and slather a generous helping of filling on the flat side. Take another cookie, and smoosh the two flat-sides of your cookies together. Repeat until all your cookies are gone. There should be EXACTLY the right amount of frosting to fill up your cookies, without running out and without having leftovers. Because I am awesome like that.

Makes about 18 cookie-sammiches.

(Cookie recipe posted at Splendid Sustenance, originally from Veganomicon)