Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

Sunday night was the season 8 premiere of Dexter, everyone's favorite serial killer.  Hubby and I have enjoyed having a couple of friends joins us over the past few years to watch Dexter.  Each week I like to prepare a couple of snacks for us to enjoy while we watch the show.  For season premieres and finales I like to plan drinks and recipes that are appropriate for the show (lots of blood red treats, etc.).  For last night's premiere I decided to try out these Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies which looked simple but sounded delicious.

The cookies themselves are quick and easy cake mix cookies.  They bake up beautifully, staying soft and chewy but still sturdy enough for sandwiching.  They're filled with a delicious homemade cream cheese frosting that is satisfyingly sweet and creamy.  These are a fairly simple but truly drool-worthy dessert.  The stunning contrast of the deep red crackled cookie against the bright white, smooth filling makes these an eye-catching treat.

Red Velvet anything is pretty classic here in the South.  These are great for so many occasions.  Dip the edges of the frosting in patriotic sprinkles and they'd make a gorgeous treat for the Fourth of July.  Of course, these would be amazing at Christmas or around Valentine's Day as well.  But, really, you can't go wrong with these red velvet sandwich cookies anytime of the year.  I mean, who needs an excuse to enjoy a giant sandwich cookie?

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies
adapted slightly from Let's Dish

Cookies
18.25 oz box red velvet cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Filling
4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon milk (I used half-and-half)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make the cookies, mix sift together the cake mix and flour, then stir in the eggs and oil.  Scoop* cookies onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.  Bake for 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, rotating the sheet halfway through, or until the tops look cracked and the cookies have set.  Cool on the pan for a minute or two, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely before filling.

To make the filling, begin by beating together the cream cheese and butter until light and well combined.  Mix in the vanilla and milk, then beat in the powdered sugar until the mixture is completely smooth.  Using an offset spatula (or a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip), spread 1-2 tablespoons of filling onto the center of a cookie.  Top with a second cookie and press together until the filling reaches the edges of the cookies.  Serve immediately or refrigerate (if refrigerating, remove the cookies 1 hour before serving to allow the filling to come to room temperature).

*I used a 3 tablespoon cookie scoop which yielded 7 very large bakery-style sandwich cookies.  For smaller cookies, I suggest using a 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoon scoop.

I chose to double the filling to make sure I had plenty to generously fill my sandwiches.  I had about a cup of filling left over, so I wouldn't recommend doubling the recipe unless you want a lot of frosting.  I'd estimate that I filled each of my large sandwich cookies with about 3 tablespoons of filling.