Birthday Fun+ Mini Cookie Dough Cookie Sandwiches

If you’ve browsed through the recipe index this blog you may have noticed that I’ve definitely posted more dessert recipes than any other category.  I think it’s fair to say that I inherited my love of sweet treats and all things chocolate from my mom! This week was my mom’s birthday and I had been planning to surprise her with Erin McKenna’s “Tripe Chocolate Fat Pants Cake”. If you aren’t familiar with Erin, she started Babycakes– the amazing all vegan, mostly gluten-free and sugar-free bakeries. The NYC location has been a favorite spot of ours for years, but since we celebrated her birthday in Florida I wanted to bring Babycakes to her! You can find the recipe for the cake (and so much more!) in the Babycakes cookbook.

My mom follows a mostly vegan diet and as a birthday gift I gave her the book Vegan for Her by Virgina Messina. It’s one of the few books tailored specifically to women’s health on a vegan diet. It’s a fantastic resource and a must-read for lady vegans!

A couple of weeks ago I posted a recipe a recipe for Cashew Cacao Cookie Dough Dip and as soon as it went up my mom had requested I make her a batch. Since birthdays in our family are often celebrated for an entire week (hey, more cake!) I made these Mini Cookie Dough Cookie Sandwiches as a pre-birthday celebration.

The cookies I used are a more chocolatey variation on my basic almond flour cookie recipe. I like using almond flour (as opposed to gluten-free baking mix etc.) because it’s higher in protein, and the cookies are sweetened with just a little agave so they are not too sweet.

I’m happy so say the cookie sandwiches were a big hit! They are the perfect combination of chewy, crunchy, smooth and they are totally cute! For a classic chocolate chip cookies, follow the recipe below and omit the cocoa powder.

Mini Cookie Dough Cookie Sandwiches

makes 8 cookie sandwiches

What you’ll need:

• 1 batch of Cashew Cacao Cookie Dough Dip

• 1 cup almond flour
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbs agave
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup carob, grain-sweetened chocolate chips or cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Mix together dry ingredients- almond flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. In a small bowl combine wet ingredients- coconut oil (softened), agave and vanilla extract.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Add in carob or chocolate chips.
4. Roll dough into small balls about 1″ thick and place on a cookie tray lined with parchment paper. There should be enough dough for 16 cookies. Bake in oven for 7-10 minutes, until cookies are slightly browned on edges.
5. Once cookies are completely cooled, make sandwiches by spreading about 1 tbs of Cashew Cacao Cookie Dough Dip between two cookies.  Store in refrigerator and enjoy!