Chocolate Sandwich Cookies Filled with Pistachio

Here are the other cookies I made with the leftover chocolate tart dough. I had an excess of shelled pistachios (I have no idea why) and I put those to good work in this delicious filling.

Dark Chocolate Cookies with Pistachio Filling

1 1⁄2 cups flour (make it gluten-free with a gf baking blend)

1⁄4 cup plus 1 tbsp. dutch-process unsweetened
cocoa powder
1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and softened
1⁄2 cup plus 2 tbsp. confectioners' sugar
2 egg yolks, preferably at room temperature
1⁄2 tsp. vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE TOPPING

4 oz. melted chocolate

pastry bag (or ziploc bag with tiny corner cut off)

FOR THE PISTACHIO FILLING

1/3 C. shelled unsalted pistachios, husks rubbed off

1 c. confectioner's sugar

6 tbsp. softened butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp almond extract

Heat oven to 350˚. Combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Using a mixer, cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl until mixture is pale and fluffy; mix in yolks and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients. Separate the dough into three balls, and roll out between two sheets of parchment paper. Place on baking sheets. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Cut into 1.5"-2" rounds. Bake for 5-7 minutes (depending on the size of your cookies). Cool on a wire rack.

Make the filling: Combine pistachios and powdered sugar in food processor. Grind until a fine powder. Add the remaining ingredients to food processor and mix until well combined.

Assembled the cookies: Spread desired amount of filling on one cookie half, top with another. Place on baking sheet prepared with parchment paper. Repeat with remaining cookies. Melt chocolate in microwave and place in pastry bag. Drizzle over cookies. Place in refrigerator to set completely.