GANACHE FILLED SHORTBREAD SANDWICH COOKIES

So, what do you do with leftover ganache? (Oh, what a horrible problem to have. Not!) After recently making Chocolate Ganache Topped Cream Cheese Danish Pastries, (recipe on site), I had leftover ganache. But what to do with the ganache? Well, why not use it as a filling for a sandwich cookie. But not a chocolate cookie, because ganache is very rich. And although some would argue that there can never be too much chocolate, I felt that a ganache filled chocolate sandwich cookie would be over kill. So then, why not 2 shortbread cookies stuck together with ganache? So, that’s what I came up with. And it worked. Because who doesn’t love shortbread? No one I know, that’s for sure!

So, if you ever find yourself with extra ganache, (lucky you), give this recipe a try. Or just for grins and giggles you could actually make ganache just for this recipe. Because if you look at the recipe for both the cookie part and the ganache, you will find only 6 ingredients listed. (Butter being used twice, so you can call it 7 ingredients if you must.) But regardless, this is a very easy cookie to make. And perfect for chocolate lovers and as one of your afternoon tea or Christmas cookie offerings. Because frankly, these cookies are darling. And who doesn’t love a darling cookie.

Anyway, just make the darn things and be happy.

Well, that’s it for today. As I am writing up this post, our living room is being used as a rehearsal hall. Mr. C. (piano), Mike (guitar), and Brian (fiddle) are preparing for a gig on Lummi Island. So much fun for me to have live music to listen to as I diligently work to bring you one more way to spend your hard-earned money on a food item with no nutritional value. I should legitimately feel guilty for not posting another recipe with quinoa, kale, beets, lentils, or other totally healthy ingredients. But I feel justified because I do post a lot of recipes that include really healthy ingredients like spinach, lemons, garlic, lentils, raspberries, walnuts, avocados, and salmon. But culinary bliss doesn’t come from just eating healthy. At least for me it doesn’t. I need a treat once in a while. And these cookies are really a treat.

So, may everything you feed your family and friends be a perfect balance of mostly healthy, with an occasional not-so-healthy treat to make life worth living. Life is short my friends. And we must remember to live it to the fullest.

On that happy note, and as always – peace and love to all.

For the Shortbread Cookies:

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

½ c. powdered sugar

2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour, fluffed

¼ tsp. fine sea salt

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar until well blended. Add flour and salt and mix until well combined.  

On floured surface, roll dough ¼-inch thick. Cut with 1½-inch to 2-inch round or scalloped cookie cutter.

Place ½-inch apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets.  

Bake in a pre-heated 350-degree oven for 14 to 15 minutes or until set. Don’t over bake.

Remove from oven and cool for 1 minute before removing to a cooling rack.

Cool completely before placing about 1½ teaspoons ganache on bottom of half of the baked cookies. Top with remaining cookies bottom sides down.

Store in an airtight container in your fridge.

For the Ganache:

¾ c. semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use mini chocolate chips)

3 T. unsalted butter, room temp. 

¼ c. whole milk 

In a small mixing bowl, combine the chocolate chips and butter.

In a liquid measuring cup, heat the milk in your microwave until the milk begins to bubble.

Pour the very hot milk over the chocolate chips and butter. Allow to sit for about 3 minutes, then use a whisk to stir until smooth and creamy. (It may take a minute or two to come together; it often looks separated at first. There also might be small chunks of chocolate that never melted. That’s just fine.)  

Allow to cool for about 45 minutes at room temperature before using as the filling for your sandwich cookies.

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