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Chocolate Mocha Sandwich Cookies

These chocolate mocha sandwich cookies are so good—definitely one of the top three cookies I've ever made. The chocolate cookies are super soft and cake-like with a rich, deep chocolate flavor, and the mocha buttercream filling is light, fluffy, and perfectly complementary.
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Servings: 48 cookies
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

For the Cookies
  • 1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  • 6 Tbs. packed light brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Mocha Filling
  • 1 Tbs. instant espresso
  • 4 Tbs. 2 oz. unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 4 Tbs. 2 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar sifted
  • 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted

Method
 

Make the cookies
  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, + salt – set aside.
  2. With a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter + sugars on medium speed until light + fluffy, about 2 minutes.
  3. Add the egg + vanilla + continue beating until smooth, about 30 seconds.
  4. Reduce the speed to low + slowly add the dry ingredients, mixing until the dough is just combined.
  5. Divide the dough in half. Wrap one half of the dough in plastic + refrigerate.
  6. Roll the other half of the dough between two sheets of parchment to an even 1/8-inch thickness. Slide the dough onto a cookie sheet + freeze until cold + firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
  7. Position a rack in the center of the oven + preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment.
  8. Using 1-1/2-inch round cookie cutters, cut out the dough + arrange the rounds 1 inch apart on the prepared sheets. If the dough gets too soft, return it to the freezer for a few minutes.
  9. Carefully press the scraps together, reroll, + cut. Repeat with the other half of the dough, + then gather all the scraps together, reroll, + cut one more time.
  10. Bake in batches, two sheets at a time, until the tops look dry, about 6 minutes. Let the cookies cool on their pans for a minute + then let them cool completely on racks.
Make the Mocha Filling
  1. In a small bowl, dissolve the espresso in 2 Tbs. hot water. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
  2. With a mixer, cream the butter + cream cheese on medium speed until light + smooth, about 1 minute.
  3. Reduce the speed to low + slowly add half of the sugar, mixing until just combined. Add the coffee mixture + vanilla, + mix until just incorporated.
  4. Gradually mix in the remaining sugar + the cocoa. Increase the speed to medium + beat until the filling is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes more.
To assemble
  1. Transfer the cooled cookies to a work surface, flipping half of them over. With an offset spatula or butter knife, spread a thin layer of the filling onto each turned-over cookie. Set another cookie on top of each filled cookie, pressing gently to spread the filling.