Homemade Chocolate-Espresso “Oreo” Cookies

First: Blend butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and beat thoroughly until light and fluffy.

Second: Add egg, almond extract, then melted chocolate. Blend well.

Third: Measure flour into sifter or sieve along with baking powder, espresso powder and cocoa powder. Sift together. (Note: Cocoa and espresso powder are optional, but I think it intensifies the chocolate flavor in a good way so I highly recommend them.)

Fourth: Add dry ingredients to cream cheese mixture; mix thoroughly.

Fifth: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Force dough through a cookie press onto an ungreased baking sheet using a template of choice. Practice a few times until you get the hang of it. Return ugly cookies to the cookie press and try again.

Because these are sandwich cookies, I use my finger, slightly dampened, to flatten the middle of half of the cookies so they will lay flat when turned upside down. Do this after you have pressed the cookies out on a cookie sheet. You’ll see why when you start to assemble cookies.

Note: If cookies won’t stick to the tray when you squeeze the gun, the dough may be too warm; chill it a bit. If the dough is too cold, it will crumble. The cookie sheet should be cool, not warm out of the oven. The cookie sheet or silicone liner must not be greasy.

Sixth: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until slightly browned. Cool.

Prepare the filling by combining the butter and shortening, mixing well. Gradually beat in the sugar, espresso, and vanilla extract. Beat on high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.

Making the cookies:

First: Fill pastry bag or zippered plastic bag (my preference) with filling. Use a 1/2-inch round or star tip or snip the corner of the plastic bag.

Second: Pipe cream in teaspoon-sized blobs onto the bottom of the cookie halves you flattened in the fifth step above. (You could also do this with a knife, but it takes longer and isn’t as pretty.)

Third: Make a sandwich by topping with another cookie that was not flattened and press lightly to squash the filling evenly to the edges.