Anissa's Sandwich Cookies

Recently I made some cookies to send to my beau and his family who live in Kentucky. They have dinner together every Sunday. Since I cannot physically be there, I devised something to contribute via Priority Mail. Also, thanks to the Reynolds company (they sent me a Handi-Vac to test out a few months ago), I was able to vacuum seal them so they did not dry out.

I based this recipe on two ingredients that happen to be in my dearest's favorite dessert, since Banana Pudding does not travel 2500+ miles very well (especially in a manilla envelope). ;) So, wanted to invent something special using bananas and vanilla wafers. I also wanted to retain the softness of the cookies, so I sandwiched them with my signature buttercream frosting, flavored with molasses. Below is what I sent.

PS: I am naming them after a family member, Anissa, who is also pictured below. She liked them so much her dad told me that she nearly finished two of them, and that she suggested the cookies be named after her. Very cool. You got it, kiddo! :)



Cookies:
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbs vanilla
1 tsp banana extract
4 mashed-up bananas
1/2 cup old fashioned oats chopped in food processor
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped coarsely
16 ounces white chocolate, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

Filling:
Molasses
Buttercream frosting

Syrup:
3 Tablespoons honey
1 tsp rum extract
1/4 cup corn syrup
a little water to thin out


Preheat oven to 365.
Toast the chopped walnuts in a skillet until just browned. Do not burn them. Also, do not skip this step. It adds a much better flavor when you mellow out the bitterness of the raw walnuts.

Combine flours, crumbs, salt, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.

Put butter & sugars into bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Reduce speed to low. Add egg and vanilla and banana extract; mix until combined. Mix in banana. Add flour mixture, mix until just combined. Stir in oats, chocolate chunks, and walnuts.

Next, pour batter into muffin cups, and bake until golden...10 minutes, do not overbake, we want the cookies to stay soft.

While cookies are cooling, prepare the molasses buttercream. I don't want to give away my buttercream recipe, but you can use any buttercream frosting and add 1/8 cup to 1/4 molasses, just be careful not to make the mixture too thin.

Prepare syrup: Mix honey, rum extract, corn syrup, and a little water to thin out and make a syrup to brush over the cookies.

Slice the cookie/muffins in half and brush them with your prepared syrup. Then spread buttercream on one half and sandwich together with the other. Package individually, and seal with a kiss…




Thanks for the pictures, SP!