the week of christmas baking: part II

Cookies!  Again.

Well, being sick since Monday, I haven't been in the mood for Christmas baking.  What's so fun about baking when you're sick?  It's not like you can enjoy any of these things.  And normally I'd just sit in bed all day watching movies and drinking tea and water.  I did these things Monday and Tuesday.  Today however, I knew that I needed to step up my game, especially since Christmas is on Saturday, and I've got a lot of treats to make in preparation for the big day.  So today, I decided to bake another batch of cookies that are great for the holidays.  Chestnut Cream Sandwich Cookies Dipped in Chocolate.

I had never heard of chestnut cream until I moved to Montreal.  After reading some food blogs, it seems that chestnut cream is a big France/European delight, and since Quebec is a mini France, there's at least 2 different kinds of chestnut paste/cream/spread at every market, even our tiny one nearby.

If you can't find it.. I'm sorry.  But there are recipes out there to make chestnut cream yourself, if you don't mind buying some chestnuts!

Enjoy cookies with some hot chocolate or some awesome tea!

• FOR THE COOKIES
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• 1 large egg
• FOR THE FILLING
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
• Pinch of coarse salt
• 2 tablespoons chestnut cream (creme de marron)
• FOR THE GLAZE
• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1. Make cookies: Sift together flour and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add sugar; mix until smooth. Mix in egg. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface to 1/8 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Using a spatula, transfer rounds to baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 inch apart.
3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Transfer to wire racks using a spatula; let cool completely.
4. Make filling: Put butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add sugar, salt, and chestnut cream; mix until smooth.
5. Make glaze: Melt chocolate in a small pan over low heat, stirring constantly; set aside.
6. Assemble cookies: Spread filling on bottom of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling. Dip sandwiches a third of the way into the warm glaze; transfer to wire racks set over baking sheets. Refrigerate until set, about 15 minutes. Cookies can be refrigerated in a single layer in airtight containers up to 2 days.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Chestnut Cream - Martha Stewart Recipes