CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES with RED, WHITE, & BLUE SPRINKLES: Fourth of July!

I always say you find recipes in the most unusual places. The Old Farmer's Almanac, founded in 1792, is one of those sites. The Farmer's Almanac is no longer just about when to plant and harvest your crops. The site is filled with weather, astronomy, gardening, advice, food tips, and recipes. Here's one of my favorites for the Fourth of July. As always use the very best cocoa and butter for the best flavor.

CHOCOLATE SANDWICH COOKIES WITH RED, WHITE, & BLUE SPRINKLES

COOKIES 

Ingredients 
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
In bowl of stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg. Turn off machine and add flour, cocoa, and salt. Beat at low speed until the dough comes together. Turn out onto work surface and knead 2 or 3 times. Flatten into 2 disks, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350F°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out first portion of dough to a ⅛-inch thickness. Use 2-inch round biscuit cutter or cookie cutter to cut dough into circles, gathering and re-rolling as needed; then transfer to baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough. Bake until firm, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven and place on cooling rack.

FILLING

Ingredients 
2-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 3 tablespoons water
red, white, and blue sprinkles

Directions
In bowl of stand mixer, combine sugar, shortening, salt, and vanilla. Beat on low speed, then increase to medium. Add water, tablespoon at time, and beat until desired consistency is reached. Frost bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie. Repeat. Roll cookies in sprinkles.

DAGWOOD'S CHOCOLATE SANDWICH: National Sandwich Day

What is more fitting for National Dagwood Sandwich Day than Dagwood's Chocolate Sandwich? I believe that Dagwood would probably have added lots of other ingredients such as bananas and peanut butter, and that would be great, but how can you go wrong with chocolate, butter, and bread?

I've posted several Chocolate Sandwiches over the years,  so today I turn to my "Tie-In" Cookbook collection and specifically Blondie's Cook Book for today's recipe. Dagwood is the iconic King of Sandwiches. My Dad used to make Dagwood Sandwiches... they were sandwiches that contained every thing but the 'kitchen sink'. FYI: My father never added chocolate.

Dagwood Bumstead, in case you don't know, is one of the main characters in comic artist Chic Young's long-running comic strip Blondie. He first appeared in the U.S. sometime prior to February 1933.

What's Cooking America defines the Dagwood Sandwich as a multi-layered sandwich with a variety of fillings. The term is used to denote a sandwich put together so as to attain such a tremendous size and infinite variety of contents as to stun the imagination, sight, and stomach of all but the original maker. Dagwood sandwiches is a term so well-known that it's in the Webster's New World Dictionary.

According to the creator of the comic strip, Murat Bernard “Chic” Young (1901-1973), the only thing that Dagwood could prepare in the kitchen was a mountainous pile of dissimilar leftovers precariously arranged between two slices of bread. Dagwood became known for his huge sandwiches he created on evening forays to the refrigerator. The comic strip is produced today under the direction of the creator's son, Dean Young, and the strip has continued to keep up with the times.

Blondie's Cook Book: Chic Young's Classic Cook Book with New Comic Art Selections by His Son Dean Young (Gramercy Books, New York 1947, 1996)

This Comic says it all:

CHOCOLATE SANDWICHES RECIPE: Not sure how many sandwiches (or layers) this is supposed to make, but that's a lot of sugar, even if the chocolate is probably sugarless. I've never followed this recipe, so I'm thinking the amount of sugar might be a mistake.

CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTERMILK WAFFLES: National Waffle Iron Day!

Today is National Waffle Iron Day. If you follow my food holidays posts, you'll know that there are actually three Waffle Days. 

I have several older waffle irons gleaned from my mother, my mother-in-law, and ones from the Flea Market. My waffle irons (makers) don't come out as often as they should, but when they do,  I always wonder why I don't make waffles more often. Maybe time for a new one? The new waffle makers are so easy to clean.

For today's Waffle Iron Holiday, I'm making Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Waffles with Chocolate Maple Syrup! 

CHOCOLATE CHIP BUTTERMILK WAFFLES

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips
Chocolate Maple Syrup (see recipe below)

Directions
Preheat waffle maker.
In large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and baking soda.
In smaller bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, vanilla, and butter until well combined.
Pour wet mixture into dry mixture, fold in chocolate chips and stir with wooden spoon until just combined.
Grease waffle maker and pour batter into preheated prepared waffle iron.
Cook until steaming stops and waffles are crisp and golden, about 3 minutes (time depends on waffle maker).
Top with Chocolate Maple Syrup! 

CHOCOLATE MAPLE SYRUP

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups pure maple syrup
4 Tbsp unsweetened DARK cocoa powder
1/4 cup sweet butter, chopped
Pinch of salt

Directions
Heat maple syrup in small sturdy saucepan over moderate heat until hot.
Whisk in cocoa powder, butter, and pinch of salt. Turn down to simmer and whisk for a minute.
Serve syrup warm.
Syrup keeps, covered and chilled, 1 week

KICKED UP CHOCOLATE TAPIOCA PUDDING: National Tapioca Day

Today is National Tapioca Day. I've posted other Chocolate Tapioca Pudding recipes, but this recipe is 'kicked up' with the addition of Rum! Now we're talking. Recipe from Emeril Lagasse. It's easy, fast, and delicious!

KICKED UP CHOCOLATE TAPIOCA PUDDING

Ingredients
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
3 cups whole milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 ounces DARK chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp dark rum

Directions 
In medium saucepan, combine sugar, tapioca, milk, and egg. Let stand for 5 minutes.
Add cinnamon and chocolate to saucepan and cook over medium heat until pudding comes to full boil, stirring continually to prevent burning.
Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and rum.
Cool for 20 minutes. Stir for creamy texture.
Serve warm or chilled.