These Baci di Damas (Ladies’ Kisses) vegan sandwich cookies are crisp on the outside, tender on the inside—a bite of richness with deep chocolate at the center. And just like ladies’ kisses, they’ll leave you wanting more:

Ingredients:

*Makes 48 sandwich cookies

1. 5 tablespoons vegan butter substitute, cold
2. ½ cup coconut sugar
3. 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4. Pinch sea salt
5. 1 cup finely ground almond or hazelnut meal
6. 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
7. ½ teaspoon baking soda
8. ½ cup whole wheat pastry or sprouted whole wheat flour

Chocolate filling:

9. 1 ounce Lily’s Dark Chocolate Premium Baking Chips
10. 2 teaspoons Suzanne’s Specialties brown rice syrup

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and position the oven racks in the middle and lower middle of the oven.
2. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
3. In a stand mixer (or using a handheld mixer), cream the cold vegan butter with coconut sugar, vanilla and sea salt until smooth.
4. Add the almond or hazelnut meal, arrowroot, baking soda and flour.
5. Mix until a soft dough forms, taking care not to over-mix.
6. Turn the dough onto a dry work surface and create a soft ball. Cut the dough into 4 equal pieces.
7. Roll each piece into a rope about 10 inches long and about 1/2-inch thick. Cut the rope into 1/4-inch pieces.
8. Roll each piece into a ball and arrange on a prepared baking sheet about an inch apart. Repeat with balance of dough. You should have about 80 small balls of dough on the baking sheets.
9. Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the racks halfway through baking, at 6 minutes. The cookies should be a wee bit soft to the touch.
10. Transfer the cookies to cooling racks and cool completely.
11. When the cookies are cooled, make the chocolate filling. Melt chocolate and rice syrup in a heat-resistant bowl over simmering water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water), whisking often until the chocolate is creamy smooth and shiny.
12. Transfer the bowl to a dry towel on your work surface. Pairing cookies of similar size, spoon ¼ teaspoon of filling on the flat side of a cookie and gently press the flat site of the other cookie into the chocolate, creating a tiny “”
13. Repeat with all cookies and chocolate. These will keep, in a tightly sealed container, for about 12 days. 

Cook’s Tip: If the chocolate thickens while you are working, simply loosen it over simmering water for a few seconds and continue.

— Check out other delicious recipes from Christina Pirello’s new plant-based cookbook, Back to the Cutting Board.

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