Black Cat Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

• 0.3 teaspoon double-acting baking powder 
• 1.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate finely chopped
• 0.5 cup butter softened
• 2 cups cake flour 
• 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder 
• 2 tablespoons milk 2% reduced-fat
• 0.5 cup powdered sugar 
• 1 cup powdered sugar 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1 Dash salt 
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• baking paper
• oven
• knife
• whisk
• wire rack
• blender
• plastic wrap
• cookie cutter
• microwave
• measuring cup

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 35
2. To prepare cookies, weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.
3. Combine flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking powder, stirring with a whisk.
4. Place powdered sugar and butter in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well blended.
5. Add 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla; beat 1 minute or until well combined.
6. Add the flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined.
7. Shape the dough into a 6-inch disk. Cover tightly with plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes. Discard plastic.
8. Roll dough to a 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface.
9. Cut out 36 (2-inch) round cookies, rerolling scraps as necessary. Using a small decorative cookie cutter, cut a cat-shaped opening in 18 rounds.
10. Place cookies 1 inch apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
11. Bake at 350 for 14 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.
12. To prepare filling, combine chocolate and 2 tablespoons milk in a microwave-safe dish; microwave at HIGH for 1 minute or until melted, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir just until smooth.
13. Combine 1/2 cup powdered sugar, cocoa, and dash of salt in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.
14. Add chocolate mixture to sugar mixture; stir just until smooth. (
15. Mixture will thicken as it cools.) Divide chocolate mixture evenly among 18 whole cookies; spread in a thin, even layer. Top each cookie with a cut-out cookie.