Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

I have never been a huge fan of grapefruit. I always find it much too tart. Well, I saw these cookies about a year ago on Martha Stewart's show. I printed out the recipe from her website and filed it away. I had thought about it a couple of times but had just never made it. Then it came across my Cookie of the Day e-mail from Martha (yes I do get the cookie of the day e-mails, I know it's a little excessive, but I love cookies and I love Martha!) and I decided I just had to make them.

I was unsure how these would taste, but they are so delicious. The cookies are crisp on the edges, and chewy in the center. And they have a wonderful buttery taste with just a hint of the grapefruit. Oh and the filling! It's divine. The grapefruit juice just gives it such a fresh taste and the honey really cuts the citrus to give it the sweet twist. This may just be one of my new favorite cookies. Please try these. You won't be disappointed. These would be absolutely perfect for a tea or a bridal shower.

Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies

Source: Martha Stewart

Ingredients
Makes 15 sandwich cookies.
Grated zest of 1 Ruby Red grapefruit, plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
3/4 cup cake flour (not self-rising)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
Pink Grapefruit Cream Filling (see recipe below)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
In a small bowl, combine zest with 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Add egg yolks, and beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
Beat in reserved zest-sugar mixture.
Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the juice, and beat to combine.
Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out disk to 1/8 inch thick using a lightly floured rolling pin. Using a lightly floured 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 inch apart on prepared sheet. Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until edges are golden, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes. Transfer parchment paper and cookies to rack to cool completely.
Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon filling onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping flat sides down. Once filled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Pink Grapefruit Cream Filling

Ingredients
Makes enough to fill 15 sandwich cookies.
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice

Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in honey. Add juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until filling holds together and is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and set aside until ready to use.