Chocolate Peanut Butter And Jelly Sandwich Cookies

Description

Source: CELEBRATE WITH CHOCOLATE - MARCEL DESAULNIERS

These fanciful sandwich cookies fool the eye. Two pieces of “bread,” made from cookie dough, are held together with peanut butter and grape jelly—a sandwich for kids of all ages. A glass of cold milk is the only possible accompaniment. The assembled cookies will keep for several days in the refrigerator if stored in a tightly sealed plastic container. The slices of unassembled baked cookies (without the peanut butter and jelly) may be stored for up to several weeks in the freezer. Be certain to place them in a tightly sealed plastic container to prevent dehydration and protect them from freezer odors.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-ounce pieces
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 3 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 3 ounces unsalted butter, cut into ½-ounce pieces
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg white
• 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate, coarsely chopped and melted
• ⅓ cup (4 ounces) creamy peanut butter
• ⅓ cup (4¼ ounces) grape jelly

Directions

1. MAKE THE WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD DOUGH: In a sifter combine the flour and salt.
2. Sift onto a large piece of parchment paper (or wax paper) and set aside.
3. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle.
4. Mix on low speed for 1 minute; then beat on medium for 2 minutes until soft.
5. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
6. Add the egg and beat on medium for 1 minute.
7. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
8. Add the white chocolate and mix on medium for 20 seconds.
9. Operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 1 minute.
10. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
11. Mix on medium speed for an additional 10 seconds. (Usually, I would ask you to use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the ingredients until thoroughly combined. But as this dough is very stiff, the mixing on medium for the additional 10 seconds will do the task more thoroughly than the rubber spatula.)
12. Transfer the dough to a 12×12-inch piece of parchment paper (or wax paper).
13. Use your hands (the dough is a bit sticky and buttery, so you may want to wear a pair of disposable vinyl or latex gloves) to form the dough into a rectangle 8 inches long, 2½ inches wide, and 2 inches high.
14. Now form the rectangle into a shape that resembles a loaf of bread (flat on the bottom and sides and rounded at the top).
15. Fold the excess paper, one side at a time, over the loaf, then place on a baking sheet and refrigerate until needed.
16. MAKE THE CHOCOLATE CRUST DOUGH: In a sifter combine the flour and salt.
17. Sift onto a large piece of parchment paper (or wax paper) and set aside until needed.
18. Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle.
19. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then beat on medium for 2 minutes until soft.
20. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
21. Add the egg white and beat on medium for 1 minute.
22. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
23. Add the unsweetened chocolate and mix on medium for 20 seconds.
24. Operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients; mix until incorporated, about 45 seconds.
25. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle.
26. Mix on medium speed for an additional 10 seconds.
27. Transfer the dough to a 12×18-inch piece of parchment paper (or wax paper).
28. Use your hands to form the dough into a rectangle 6 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1 inch thick.
29. Fold the excess paper, one side at a time, over the dough, then place on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 1 hour.
30. FINISH ASSEMBLING AND BAKE THE DOUGH LOAF: Remove the chocolate crust dough from the refrigerator and place it on a dry work surface.
31. Fold back the excess paper from the dough, leaving the dough on the paper.
32. Position another piece of 12×18-inch paper over the top of the dough.
33. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangle about 10 inches wide, 14 inches long, and ¼ inch thick.
34. If you end up with something a little larger, not to worry—as long as the rectangle is at least 10×14 inches, it will work as planned.
35. Slowly remove the paper from the top of the rolled dough and discard.
36. Remove the white chocolate dough loaf from the refrigerator.
37. Discard the paper.
38. Place the loaf lengthwise in the center and across the width of the chocolate crust dough (the ends of the loaf should almost touch the edges of the chocolate crust dough).
39. Fold one side of the crust dough up and over, then gently press the chocolate crust into the loaf.
40. Now pull the paper away from the very top of the crust-covered loaf (don’t pull the paper all the way down to the sides).
41. Fold the other side of the crust dough up and over the loaf.
42. Fold the paper back over the top of the loaf.
43. Use your hand to gently but firmly press the crust dough into the sides and top of the loaf.
44. If the crust dough is not flat against the loaf, air pockets may form.
45. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
46. Preheat the oven to 325°F.
47. Remove the chilled loaf from the refrigerator and place on a clean, dry cutting board.
48. Remove and discard the paper.
49. Use a serrated slicer to trim the excess chocolate crust dough from each end of the loaf (so that each end is flat.)
50. Cut the loaf into 32 slices, each ¼ inch thick.
51. Divide the slices among 4 nonstick baking sheets.
52. Place 1 baking sheet on the top rack and 1 baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake for 15 to 16 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to center halfway through the baking time (at that time also turn each sheet 180 degrees).
53. The remaining 2 baking sheets may be placed in another 325°F oven or held at room temperature, then baked after the first 2 sheets are removed from the oven.
54. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool to room temperature on the baking sheets, about 20 minutes.
55. FINISH ASSEMBLING THE CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICH COOKIES: After the cookie “bread” slices have cooled, use a small offset spatula (or butter knife) to spread 2 teaspoons of the peanut butter on 16 of the slices.
56. Use a clean offset spatula to spread 2 teaspoons of the jelly onto the remaining 16 slices of cookie bread.
57. Gently press one of the peanut butter–spread cookies together with one of the jelly-spread cookies.
58. Repeat with the remaining peanut butter and jelly–spread cookies until you have 16 sandwiches.
59. Cut each sandwich in half.
60. Store in a tightly sealed plastic container in the refrigerator.

YIELD: MAKES 16 SANDWICHES