Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches

I have this tradition with my one friend we try to keep up as good as we can. It all started with increasing our passion for baking together, finding new recipes, experimenting with new ingredients and then feeding our history class with our baked goods.
We were almost forced to bring something in every day, because they got addicted to those new inventions and old traditional recipes.
That was our tradition at school.
And then we had our own private tradition: Bringing something yummy every time just the two of us were hanging out together. We've already had self-made Peanut Butter Cups, Cake balls (we had a whole era of those :) ) and all sorts of cookies.

This time I wanted to go over her house for a movie night after I haven't seen her in a really long time. Well, it definitely feels like a really long time. So I decided, why not stick to the tradition and bake something we've never had before?
For that you have to know that I am obsessed with cookie dough-everything. There is no eating ice cream without cookie dough in my cone. And because I had a cookie dough ice cream before making that decision I had to bake something with cookie dough! I can't believe we've never made anything with it until now (there was a lot of cookie dough in the last sentences). As the day passed on I found the perfect tradition fulfilling recipe for my purpose.

It was a lot of fun baking for my friend again. Although my sandwiches turned out a little large they were still loved by everyone.
Sometimes I have the feeling I have to practice how to make real pretty cookies, which will come out perfectly in the end with the right size and form.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Sandwiches

    makes about 20 sandwich cookies

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups mini semisweet chocolate chips

For Cookie Dough Filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed, scraping the side of the bowl occasionally, until smooth. Stir in mini chocolate chips. Cover and transfer the dough to the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll a heaping tablespoon of dough into a 1½-inch ball and place it on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten balls slightly into 3/4-inch disks. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart.

Bake until cookie edges are slightly golden brown, about 9-11 minutes. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

To make the cookie dough filling, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Mix in flour, powdered sugar, and salt on low speed until incorporated. Slowly add heavy cream and vanilla extract and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stir in mini chocolate chips.

To assemble, Spread a heaping tablespoon of filling on the flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, forming a sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Adapted from Sweet Pea's Kitchen