Hands on: 30 minutes
Total time: 2 1/2 hours
Makes: 2 dozen sandwiches
Ingredients for the dough:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
White or colored sanding sugars
Ingredients for the filling:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese
1 tablespoon grated orange zest 1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
To prepare the dough:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch and salt. With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar until pale and fluffy, then beat in zest and vanilla. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until a soft dough forms. Put sanding sugars in separate bowls. Roll a scant teaspoon of dough into a ball and drop into sugar, turning to coat. Reshape, if necessary, and transfer to a baking sheet.
Repeat, spacing balls 3/4 inch apart, until baking sheet is filled. Bake until tops are slightly cracked but still pale (bottoms will be pale golden), 12 to 15 minutes. Cookies will flatten somewhat as they bake. Transfer cookies on parchment to a rack to cool completely.
To prepare the filling:
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat sugar, butter, cream cheese, orange zest and orange juice until well-combined. With a knife, spread about 1/2 teaspoon filling on bottom of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies and press gently.
Per cookie: 159 calories (percent of calories from fat, 56), trace protein, 18 grams carbohydrates, trace fiber, 10 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 27 milligrams cholesterol, 28 milligrams sodium.
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