Cookies For The Road

We are off again today. Our first stop will be Hays, KS. The trip to Hays is about a 4 1/2-5 hour drive from our house. I made a whole bunch of cookies to take with us. The cookies are mostly for Ollie’s party, though I am sure we will nibble on a few while on the road too. 🙂

I made two main types of cookies, and one a variation of the other. Some of Larry’s favorite cookies are chocolate peanut butter chip. That is the bulk of my cookie tray.

The other cookies I made are citrus sandwich cookies. The smaller ones are just from the centers of the larger cookies. Their cream-filled centers are slightly different too. One is more orange focused and the other is more lemon.

Citrus Sandwich Cookies

You need to plan ahead to make these cookies. They are time consuming, but worth every minute.

The Dough

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 3/4 sticks softened butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tsp lemon peel

2 tsp orange peel

1/2 tsp lemon extract, optional

1/2 tsp orange extract, optional

colored sugar

Combine the dry ingredients in one bowl and set aside.

Mix the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and extracts if using. Add the flour mixture 1/2 at a time, and mix in between each addition.

The dough will be a stiff dough and this is what you are looking for. Form it into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, and up to 3 days, before rolling it out to about 1/8 of an inch in thickness and cutting with a cookie cutter.

When you are ready to bake your cookies, preheat the oven to 350*F or 180*C. Line some cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Cut 2 matching cookies with a scalloped edged cookie cutter. Then cut out the center with a pastry tube or something small and round. This will be your top cookie.

Place the cookies on different cookie sheets, since they will cook at slightly different times. Add the colored sugar or sprinkles on top and gently press into the dough before baking.

Bake for about 11-15 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown. Remove from the oven, let cool slightly, then place on a cookie rack to cool completely. Let the cookies cool completely before filling them.

The Filling

1/4 cup orange juice

1 TBSP lemon juice

3/4 stick softened buutter

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1 TBSP heavy whipping cream

pinch of salt

Mix everything together with a mixer, then spread on one cookie and place another cookie on top.

Because I wanted to make my cookies slightly different, for the smaller cookies, I used some of my leftover Portuguese custard, mixed with whipped cream and about 1 tsp of lemon extract.

And now we have a whole bunch of cookies to take on the road with us for the party. 🙂 I am storing them in the refrigerator until we are ready to eat them. I will keep them in a cooler while on the road.

Have a great day and make everyday great. Life is short. Make the most out of everyday and enjoy it one cookie at a time. ‘Til next time.

I will be gone for about 10 days. But you know I will share all the fun details of our trip once I return home. 🙂