Sugar & Gold: Strawberries & Cream Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

It's cold in Alaska and I needed something that reminded me of spring! I'm also very ready for the sun to come back out which would be helpful in getting better quality pics, but I think I got the point across with these yummy and easy Strawberry & Cream Sugar Cookie Sandwiches.

My favorite part was getting to use my beautiful Polish wood-engraved rolling pin my dear friend, Kenzie, got me for my birthday. It added the prettiest floral details that were ALMOST too adorable to eat. Almost. These would have been perfect by themselves but why stop at a cookie when you can have TWO cookies sandwiching fluffy vanilla buttercream swirled with fresh homemade strawberry compote (jam?) (goop?). Even my die-hard chocolate obsessed husband ate, oh let's count, ALL OF THEM. Seriously.

My favorite sugar cookies:

2.5 cups AP flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) room temp unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

(Makes 36 cookies)

Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar, if using.
Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

For the strawberry compote:

1 cup finely chopped strawberries

2 Tbs sugar

In small saucepan, combine strawberries and sugar.
Bring to boil.
Decrease to simmer for 20 minutes until strawberries are thickened.

For the vanilla buttercream:

1/2 cup room temp unsalted butter

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Heavy cream

pinch of salt

In electric mixer, beat butter on med-high until light and fluffy.
Add sugar 1 cup at a time until well incorporated, adding heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen frosting until mixture is at desired consistency
Add vanilla and salt
Mix on high until frosting is white and fluffy

To combine strawberry compote and buttercream, alternate spoonfuls of each mixture into piping bag, rotating the bag so that equal mixtures of compote and buttercream line the sides. Shake bag until all air bubbles are gone and the mixture is at the tip of your nozzle.