Chef Steve Zimei shares his recipe for these shortbread-like sandwich cookies filled with a gooey, caramel center. You can find dulce de leche in the baking aisle at the grocery store (near sweetened condensed milk), and whip up a batch of these rich goodies to share with loved ones over the holidays (or any time, really).
Dulce de Leche & Cinnamon Cookies
Details
Yields: 12 cookie sandwiches
Ingredients
Cookies
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground anise
- 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar, plus 1/2 cup for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground anise
- 1 1/2 cups dulce de leche
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and anise in a small bowl.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a mixer, beat butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla. Beat until combined well. Reduce speed to low, and add the flour mixture from step 2 in three amounts, scraping down sides as needed.
- Combine cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a shallow dish and set aside.
- Roll the dough into 24 balls, and space them 2 inches apart on the parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until firm, rotating the pan halfway through.
- Let the cookies cool on the sheet. Then, place in cinnamon sugar mixture and coat evenly. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.
- For the filling — melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in cinnamon and anise and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat, and stir in dulce de leche until well combined. Spread 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling on the bottoms of 12 cookies. Top with remaining 8 cookies to form sandwiches.
