Homemade chocolate sandwich cookies (Princes style)

Ingredients

• 120 g Granulated sugar (Fine granulated)
• 135 g Unsalted butter (At room temperature, softened)
• 1 g Salt (Pinch)
• 4 g Baking powder (About 1 teaspoon)
• 60 g Sunflower oil (At room temperature)
• 2 Eggs (Medium size, at room temperature)
• 2 sachets Vanilla sugar or liquid vanilla flavor (About 10 g or 2 tsp of flavor)
• 500 g Type 45 flour (Can be increased to 510 g if dough is too sticky)
• 200 g Dark pastry chocolate (70 % cocoa) (Cut into pieces)
• 30 g Spread (Nutella type) (About 2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. Soften the butter

   Cut the butter into cubes and place 10‑15 s in the microwave (or leave at room temperature) until it becomes pliable.

   Time: PT2M

2. Cream the butter with sugar

   In a bowl, beat the softened butter with the granulated sugar, salt and vanilla sugar until you obtain a smooth, pale cream.

   Time: PT5M

3. Incorporate the oil

   Add the 60 g of sunflower oil to the cream and mix until fully incorporated.

   Time: PT2M

4. Add the eggs

   Pour the two eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition.

   Time: PT3M

5. Fold in the flour and baking powder

   Sift the flour with the baking powder, then add gradually to the dough using the paddle attachment or a spatula. Mix just enough for the dough to come together.

   Time: PT5M

6. Chill

   Divide the dough into two balls, wrap them in plastic film and place in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.

   Time: PT20M

7. First rolling

   On a lightly floured surface, place a dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to about 2 mm thickness using a rolling pin.

   Time: PT5M

8. Cool the rolled dough

   Return the rolled dough (still between the papers) to the refrigerator for 15 minutes to firm up.

   Time: PT15M

9. Cut the cookies

   Remove the top paper, cut circles with a ~5 cm round cutter, then prick the centre of each circle with a pastry fork.

   Time: PT5M

10. Repeat with the second dough

    Repeat steps 7 to 9 with the second dough until the dough is exhausted.

    Time: PT10M

11. Preheat the oven

    Preheat the oven to 170 °C on convection mode.

    Time: PT5M

    Temperature: 170°C

12. Bake the cookies

    Place the cookies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake 10‑12 minutes, until lightly golden.

    Time: PT12M

    Temperature: 170°C

13. Complete cooling

    Remove the sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool completely on a rack before filling.

    Time: PT15M

14. Prepare the chocolate ganache

    Melt the pastry chocolate with the spread in a bain‑marie (or microwave) stirring until you obtain a smooth ganache.

    Time: PT5M

15. Fill the cookies

    Place a spoonful of ganache in the centre of half the cookies (or use a piping bag) and spread lightly.

    Time: PT5M

16. Assemble the sandwiches

    Stack each filled cookie with an unfilled one and press lightly to form the sandwich.

    Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

250

Protein

3 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

13 g

Fiber

1 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Granulated sugar: White sugar
• Instead of Unsalted butter: Vegetable margarine, Clarified butter
• Instead of Salt: Sea salt
• Instead of Baking powder: Baking soda + vinegar
• Instead of Sunflower oil: Canola oil, Neutral vegetable oil
• Instead of Eggs: Applesauce (vegan version), Plain yogurt
• Instead of Vanilla sugar or liquid vanilla flavor: Vanilla extract
• Instead of Type 45 flour: All‑purpose flour
• Instead of Dark pastry chocolate (70 % cocoa): Milk chocolate, White chocolate
• Instead of Spread (Nutella type): Hazelnut‑free spread, Cocoa butter

Equipment Needed

• Microwave (optional) (optional)
• Mixing bowl
• Stand mixer or manual whisk
• Silicone spatula
• Kitchen scale
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper
• Baking sheet
• Round cutter (≈5 cm)
• Pastry fork (or fork)
• Cooling rack
• Bain‑marie or microwave for the ganache
• Piping bag (optional) (optional)
• Oven
• Plastic film (for chilling the dough)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Cream the butter with the sugar until a smooth texture is achieved.
• Do not over‑work the dough after adding the flour.
• Chill the dough (minimum 20 min).
• Prick the centre of the cookies before baking.
• Watch the baking to avoid too dark coloration.
• Let the cookies cool completely before filling.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use very fresh butter and let it soften naturally for a lighter texture.
• For a more intense flavor, replace the 70 % dark chocolate with 85 % cocoa chocolate.
• Lightly dust the cookies with powdered sugar before baking for an elegant finish.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store the assembled cookies in an airtight box for 5 days.

Freezer: Wrap the cookies separately or assembled in plastic film then place in the freezer for up to 1 month.

Room temperature: At room temperature, they keep 2‑3 days in a cookie tin.

Make-Ahead Tips

• The dough can be prepared the day before and kept refrigerated, well wrapped.
• The chocolate ganache keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator, reheat slightly before use.
• The cookies can be assembled the day before; they stay soft thanks to the filling.