Glitter Ball Cookies

By

I'm almost too embarrassed to say that this is a Martha Stewart recipe. Please pretend that I never told you that. I prefer to think of myself as an "anti-Martha."

Ingredients

  • Creamy Ginger (or Vanilla) Filling:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Sanding sugar, in assorted colors
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger OR pulp from 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon honey or corn syrup

Preparation

Step 1

For the Cookies:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and salt with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour, and mix just until combined. Shape into 3/4-inch balls (chill dough if too sticky). Place sanding sugar in shallow bowls. Roll each ball in sanding sugar, and place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing 1 inch apart.

Step 2:
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are lightly golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cookies cool completely on a wire rack. Spread 2 cookies with just enough filling to allow them to stick together.

For the Filling:
Beat all ingredients by hand or with an electric mixer on medium high speed until smooth.