Cherry White Chocolate Almond Sandwich Cookies

This 7th day cookies recipe comes from Jeff Mauro. 

Ingredients

Cookies:

• 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bleached all-purpose flour (about 10 1/2 ounces)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (12 tablespoons)
• 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar (7 ounces)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup white chocolate chunks or chips
• 1/2 cup dried sour cherries

Filling:

• 3/4 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (4 tablespoons)
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Directions

For the cookies: Heat the oven to 325 degrees F with racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl until combined. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and both sugars on medium speed until smooth and incorporated. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract and mix until incorporated. Then add the flour mixture, white chocolate and sour cherries. Mix until incorporated.

For large cookies, scoop out 1/4 cup of dough, roll in a ball, and using fingertips, pull apart into two equal halves. Rotate 90 degrees and lightly smoosh back together, with the rough edges on top. Place formed dough balls on one of the prepared baking sheets, about 3 inches apart. For smaller cookies, follow the same technique using 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie. Bake until the edges are slightly golden and middles are still soft but not wet, 20 to 23 minutes for large cookies, 15 to 17 minutes for smaller cookies. Let the cookies cool for 20 to 30 minutes on the baking sheets.

For the filling: While the cookies are cooling, beat the almond butter, sugar, butter and salt with a handheld mixer until whipped and light, about 2 minutes. Chill the filling until ready to assemble the cookies.

To assemble the cookies: Schmear 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling for the large cookies and 1 to 2 tablespoons for the smaller cookies onto the bottom side of the cookie. Place another cookie bottom-side down onto the filling. Repeat with the remaining cookies, cut in half and serve.