This is a soft, scrumptious sandwich cookie that I developed from my own chocolate drop cookie recipe.  The cookie is easy to prepare – a straight forward drop cookie.   The buttercream is a classic Swiss meringue buttercream recipe – silky smooth and less sweet than a powdered sugar frosting.  A great video tutorial is here.  You can do this buttercream recipe!  It’s pretty fool proof once you get it.  Please reply if you have any questions.  You are the boss of this buttercream!  Enjoy!

Chocolate Sandwich Cookie
Makes about 30 sandwich cookies. These cookies freeze well.

For the cookie pieces:
1 1/4 cups white flour ( 6.5 oz)
3/4 cup cocoa (2.5 oz)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks unsalted butter (8 oz), soft but not melted
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed (5.5 oz)
3/4 cup white sugar (5.5 oz)
2 tsp. vanilla
2 large eggs, room temperature

Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.  Sift once, and set aside.  In mixing bowl, cream butter until smooth. Add sugars and beat until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time beating for 30 seconds after each addition.  Add vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix until just mixed.  Drop small balls of dough on baking sheet, allowing room around each for spread.  Each cookie should be about 2 inches in diameter when baked.  I use a small portion scooper to keep the cookies even in size.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, or until just set. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then move to rack to cool.

For the Swiss Meringue buttercream filling
3 egg whites (approximately 3 oz)
3/4 cup (6 oz) white sugar
2 sticks and 1 TB (9 oz) unsalted butter, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract

In heatproof mixing bowl, mix egg whites and sugar.  Heat over a water bath until the mixture reaches 140 degrees, being sure to constantly stir to prevent hot spots.  The sugar will have dissolved in to the egg white by this time.  Transfer bowl to mixer and, using whisk attachment, whisk on medium until it is fluffy and cooled to near room temp. It should be a soft marshmallow consistency.  Switch to paddle attachment and add the butter, 2 TB at a time on medium speed.  Continue to beat on medium until the buttercream is no longer curdled looking, but looks and acts just like good buttercream.  Add vanilla extract.

Assembly:
When cookie pieces have cooled completely, put two together with a nice thick layer of buttercream.