Chocolate wreath sandwich cookies

Directions

Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. 
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. 
3. Beat in vanilla extract. 
4. Whisk together flour, sugar and cocoa in a separate bowl and add to butter. Beat until dough holds together, about 3 minutes. 
5. Pat into two disks and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into full rounds and rounds with a hole cutout (like a donut). Bake for 20-25 minutes. Cookies should appear matte and dry. Cool on a cooling rack before removing it from the tray. 

Royal Icing

1. Whisk together meringue powder and icing sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Add water and mix on low. 
2. Add food colouring and more water and mix slowly until the desired consistency is achieved. 

Assembly

1. Fit a piping bag with a leaf piping tip and fill it with royal icing. 
2. Pipe a wreath of leaves onto the donut-shaped cookies. 
3. Let dry for several hours or overnight. 
4. Take the undecorated round cookies and top them with a dollop of jam, caramel sauce, chocolate ganache, or buttercream of your choice. You can use a piping tip or spoon it onto the cookie, ensuring it doesn’t run off the edge.
5. Top this cookie with the decorated wreath cookie.
6. Apply edible paint for added dimension. Enjoy!