Yield: about 2 dozen 2-inch sandwich cookies
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 and seven-eighths ounces) granulated sugar, plus 2 to 3 table-spoons for coating cookies
three quarters cup (1and one half sticks; 6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 to 1 and a half teaspoons salt (depending on tastes)
1 teaspoon espresso powder
1 large egg
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 and a half cups all purpose flour
three quarters cup (2 and one fourth ounces) black cocoa, such as Hershey’s dark cocoa, plus 2 to 3 table-spoons for coating cookies
Filling
1 teaspoon plus heaping quarter teaspoon unflavored gela-tin (part of a quarter-ounce packet)
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) cold water
half cup (3 and one quarter ounces) vegetable shortening, trans-fat-free preferred
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 and a half cups (10 ounces) confectioners’ sugar or glazing sugar
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two or more baking sheets.
- Place 2 to 3 tablespoons black cocoa and 2 to 3 table-spoons sugar in an 8- or 9-inch cake pan, shaking to distribute across bottom of pan.
- To make cookies: In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together sugar, butter, salt and espresso powder. Beat in egg, water and vanilla, then flour and cocoa. Dough will be very stiff.
- Roll dough into balls about size of a chestnut (about 2 level teaspoons). As dough balls are made, place in cake pan with cocoa.
- When 6 to 8 balls are in pan, shake gently to roll in cocoa and sugar, then place on prepared sheets. Repeat with all dough.
- Use flat bottom of a glass, dipped in cocoa as necessary to prevent sticking, to flatten cookies to about one-eighth-thick (measure with a ruler; you want to get pretty close to one-eighth inch for best-textured cookies).
- Bake cookies for 18 minutes, watching closely (it’s important to bake the right amount of time — too little, and cookies won’t be crisp; too much, and they’ll scorch). When done, remove cookies from oven and allow to cool completely on rack or on pan.
While cookies cool, make filling.
- Soften gelatin in a cup with 2 tablespoons cold water, then place cup in a larger dish of hot water and leave it there, stirring occasionally, until gelatin dissolves and becomes syrupy, 5 to 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, beat together shortening, vanilla and sugar. Mixture is very dry at first, but eventually begins to clump together. When this happens, add dissolved gelatin and beat until smooth.
- Place 1 level tablespoon filling in center of one cookie; again, a teaspoon cookie scoop, slightly heaped, is perfect for this task.
- Place another cookie atop filling, and squeeze to distribute filling evenly. Repeat with remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container.