Elderberry Balsamic ​Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

Makes 12 Sandwich Cookies

This isn’t just a cookie, it’s a full-fledged dessert. It deserves to be placed on a beautiful dish and served with a trio of tender mint leaves. Surprisingly sweet and full of fruit flavor, this will WOW your guests in a very sophisticated and delicious way!

INGREDIENTS:

2 T divided, Olive This! Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
12 Amareno Cherries* (or Luxardo Gourmet Cherries)
2 t of Cherry syrup*
¾ C Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
24 Betty Crocker Soft Sugar Cookies BELOW

ICING:

2 C powdered sugar
4 T salted butter, softened
2 T Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
2 t of the cherry syrup
Dash of salt (about 1/8 t)
2 T milk or cream
3-5 drops of red food coloring to keep the frosting a nice color!

METHOD:

Prepare the sugar cookie recipe and add 2 t Elderberry Balsamic to the dough at the point when you add the eggs. Blend as usual and incorporate the balsamic. Finish and form into balls and cook as directed in recipe. Cool. Prepare icing by starting with the liquids and adding the powdered sugar until you have a soft but fairly stiff icing. You want it to stay inside the two cookie halves. Fill with about 2 heaping T of the icing or more if you prefer. Drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate or leave it off and use a dot of icing to keep the cherry in place.

Melt the semi-sweet chips gently in the microwave heating slowly and stirring often. When fully melted and soft, put into a small baggie and cut of a very small tip at the corner. Pipe the soft chocolate onto the cookies, nest in a cherry. Dust with powdered sugar at the end if desired.

BETTY CROCKER SUGAR COOKIES
This is the recipe showing the ingredients halved as I made it | Makes 24 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

C shortening
1 C white sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tarter
Add 1 T of the Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
Pinch of t salt
3 egg yolks, halved (Add all 3 yolks to a bowl, whisked them together, and used half the mixture)
¾ C + 1/8 C all-purpose flour

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 300° F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.
Using a stand mixture with the paddle attachment blend the shortening on high for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and blend well for another 30 seconds. Add the baking soda, cream of tarter, egg yolks, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Blend well. Add the flour a little at a time until it comes together. Form into balls. Cook for about 14 minutes being careful not to let them brown on the edges. Remove from oven, let sit for 2 minutes. Place cookies on a cooling rack and when completely cool, follow instructions above to fill with icing, pipe with chocolate, top with cherry, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*NOTE: You could substitute Maraschino Cherries and their syrup but this will give a more almond flavor. If you do substitute it, I suggest you add about 1/3 C toasted chopped almonds to the sugar batter just to change it up!