Sandwich and Filled Cookies

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Many sandwich and filled cookie recipes are as old as the hills and have a well nested place in tradition - Linzer, Thumbprints, Kolaches, Rugelach, Peanut Butter Blossoms, Hamantaschen, "Oreo" Cookies, and more.

SANDWICH COOKIES: are rolled or pressed cookies that are assembled as a sandwich with a sweet filling. Fillings may be with marshmallow, jam, or icing. The Oreo cookie, made of two chocolate cookies with a vanilla icing filling is an example.

Sandwich cookie recipe tips and techniques:
1. Make all the cookies the same size -- this is easy if you use a cutter. If you are sandwiching drop cookies it's a little more difficult. In that case, scrupulously measure the amount of batter you drop for each cookie. That way they'll have a better chance of being uniform in size;

2. Cool cookies completely before attempting to sandwich them -- especially if the filling is chocolate or buttercream because it will melt and thin;

3. Use an appropriate amount of filling in each cookie. Usually abut 3 teaspoons to a tablspoon for a 2-inch diameter cookie is enough if you want the filling to show, but always follow the recipe. If you use more, it will squish out when you bite into the cookie;
SARAH SAYS: We like to use a squeeze bottle to apply fluid fillings, instead of a spoon or icing spatula. It's neater and more accurate. See how we do it with the Alfajores or Dulce de Leche Sandwich Cookies Recipe. We used a piping bag to fill our Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies and the Stamped "Oreo" Cookies with.
 

4. Finish sandwich cookies simply. If the instructions call for sprinkling the cookie with powdered sugar, use a little and sift it over the cookie to avoid lumps -- or else it will be all over your clothes, not on the cookie;

5.  Keep sandwich cookies in a cool place or refrigerate if the filling is perishable -- or wait until the day you intend to serve them to sandwich them. Perishable fillings can't stand heat or moisture.

QUESTION: Please help! I decided to test out a Linzer Cookie Recipe before it's holiday appearance and ran into an unexpected problem - the seedless raspberry jam that I used to sandwich them was runny. I am trying to get that bakery effect; that is, where the jam actually stays inside  - mine ran out the sides! 
SARAH SAYS: The so-called "all-fruit" spreads like Polaner's are thicker and less likely to run. Other jam and jelly manufacturers like Smuckers make them, too. Some are seedless, some are not.

FILLED COOKIES: They come in all shapes and sizes, but are usually composed of a dough encasing a rich fillings such as fruit preserves, buttercream, nuts, chocolate or cooked dried fruit.
Filled cookie tips and techniques:
1. Make sure the dough is firm but malleable before trying to shape filled cookies. Success depends on having the dough and filling approximately the same consistency so they do not oppose each other as you are trying to shape the cookies;

2. Be accurate about dimension. Use a ruler for best results;

3. Prepare both dough and filling in advance -- then you can concentrate on shaping the cookies on the following day, or whenever you plan to do it;

4. Apply egg wash sparingly on the outsides of cookies. I dip a brush into the beaten egg, then wipe several times against the rim of the bowl or cup containing the egg. This is to make the excess egg drip off so that when you paint the wash onto the cookies it will not dribble down and puddle underneath them;