Elderberry Balsamic Buttercream Sandwich Sugar Cookies

“When I tasted this Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar, I was transported to a place where soft flowers blend with tart cherries. A place where an herbal hint of berry was almost perfume-like but still sweet like candy with just the right tartness. After I smacked my lips and opened my eyes? Well, all I could think of was making this into a fancy dessert. I could tell that it had qualities like vanilla, but with a depth that was screaming to be featured as a main flavor for all to love.”

Recipe Credit: Camine Pappas. To read more about how Caminie created this recipe and read the entire blog post, click here to visit her website: IFeelLikeCooking.com. Camine also has a new cookbook, BLING Cuisine.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 teaspoons divided Olive This! Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
• 12 Amareno Cherries* (or Luxardo Gourmet Cherries)
• 2 teaspoons of Cherry syrup*
• ¾ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)
• 24 Betty Crocker Soft Sugar Cookies (RECIPE AT END)

ICING Ingredients

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoons salted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoons Olive This! Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons of the cherry syrup
• Dash of salt (about 1/8 t)
• 2 tablespoons milk or cream
• 3-5 drops of red food coloring to keep the frosting a nice color!

Directions

Prepare the sugar cookie recipe and add 2 teaspoons of Elderberry Balsamic to the dough at the point when you add the eggs. Blend as usual and incorporate the balsamic. Finish and form into balls and cook as directed in recipe. Cool.

Prepare icing by starting with the liquids and adding the powdered sugar until you have a soft but fairly stiff icing. You want it to stay inside the two cookie halves.

Fill with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the icing or more if you prefer. Drizzle with melted semi-sweet chocolate or leave it off and use a dot of icing to keep the cherry in place.

Melt the semi-sweet chips gently in the microwave heating slowly and stirring often. When fully melted and soft, put into a small baggie and cut of a very small tip at the corner. Pipe the soft chocolate onto the cookies, nest in a cherry. Dust with powdered sugar at the end if desired.

BETTY CROCKER SOFT SUGAR COOKIES

This is the recipe halved | Makes 24 cookies

• 1 cup shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
• 1 tablespoon Olive This! Elderberry Balsamic Vinegar
• Pinch of salt
• 3 egg yolks, halved (Add all 3 yolks to a bowl, whisked them together, and use half the mixture)
• ¾ cup + 1/8 cup all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 300° F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

Using a stand mixture with the paddle attachment blend the shortening on high for 30 seconds. Add the sugar and blend well for another 30 seconds. Add the baking soda, cream of tarter, egg yolks, balsamic vinegar, and salt. Blend well. Add the flour a little at a time until it comes together. Form into balls. Cook for about 14 minutes being careful not to let them brown on the edges. Remove from oven, let sit for 2 minutes. Place cookies on a cooling rack and when completely cool, follow instructions above to fill with icing, pipe with chocolate, top with cherry, and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

*NOTE: You could substitute Maraschino Cherries and their syrup but this will give a more almond flavor. If you do substitute it, I suggest you add about 1/3 cup toasted chopped almonds to the sugar batter just to change it up!

©Recipe and Photo Copyright Camine Pappas, 2021. All rights reserved. 

Have a comment? We’d love to hear from you. Have you tried this dish? Do you have a variation that you think others will enjoy? Leave us a comment below (providing your email address is not necessary).