Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies with Dark Chocolate Filling

Ingredients

• 10 ounce cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips 60% ghirardelli®
• 3 ounces cream cheese softened
• 3 tablespoons flour all-purpose
• 0.3 cup coarse granulated sugar white or colored
• 16.5 ounce sugar cookie dough refrigerated
• 0.8 cup whipping cream 

Equipment

• bowl
• baking sheet
• sauce pan
• oven
• plastic wrap
• hand mixer

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat cookie dough, cream cheese, and flour with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until combined.
2. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into an 8-inch long log.
3. Sprinkle coarse sugar onto a piece of waxed paper.
4. Roll logs in sugar. Wrap logs in plastic wrap. Freeze logs for 2 hours or until firm enough to slice.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Cut logs into 1/4-inch slices.
7. Place slices about 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets.
8. Bake in batches for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on cookie sheets for 2 minutes.
9. Transfer cookies to wire racks; cool completely.
10. Meanwhile, for filling, in a medium saucepan, bring the cream just to a boiling over medium-high heat.
11. Remove from heat.
12. Add Ghirardelli® 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chips. Do not stir.
13. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Cool for 15 minutes before using.
14. Spread 2 teaspoons of the filling* on the bottom of each of half of the cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, bottom sides down.