Tiramisu Cookies
Tiramisu Cookies are little nibbles of Italian bliss based on classic tiramisu, featuring the rich flavors of espresso and cocoa infused into a soft and chewy cookie. These delightful cookies are the perfect addition to all of your holiday celebrations!
Why We Love Tiramisu Cookies
All right folks, I have a confession to make. This is my newest cookie recipe for the holiday season. When I dreamed up these Tiramisu Cookies, I believed myself to be the first person to ever think of something so wonderful.
Alas, Google always shatters the dreams of someone who expects to be an original. I found (after the fact) that Martha Stewart has a Tiramisu Cookie Recipe.
SWEARS… lots of swears!
Here is my not-as-original-as-I-thought-but-still-completely-fabulous Tiramisu Cookie Recipe. The cookies are tender boozy pillows filled with rich creamy mascarpone and espresso filling. Each sandwich is kissed with a sprinkling of unsweetened cocoa powder to mimic traditional Tiramisu.
Sandwich Cookies with Tiramisu Filling
In the past, I’ve had an aversion to boozy extracts. I figure if you want something to taste like brandy, why not just add brandy? In this case, you simply can’t get a strong enough rum flavor without using an extract. You’d have to add so much rum that it would affect the texture of cookie dough.
To make the cookies uniform, I like to roll them into equally portioned balls, then flatten them with the bottom of a glass.
Pipe the mascarpone filling onto the bottom of each sandwich cookie and top. Allow the cookie to sit out for a while so the filling will set.
Tiramisu Cookies Tips & Tricks
- Instead of making tiramisu sandwich cookies, make simple frosted cookies and frost each one for double the cookies!
- Don’t over dust the cookies with cocoa! I love a little dusting of cocoa on top of these, but be sure to only do a very light dusting. It you want to opt for a heavier dusting, cut the cocoa with powdered sugar since cocoa can be very bitter.
- You can find instant coffee granules in the coffee section of the grocery store!
Frequently Asked Questions
Tiramisu is a traditional Italian dessert that is typically made with layers of ladyfingers, espresso, whipped cream, marscapone, and usually has some sort of liqueur in it like Kahlua.
To store any leftover cookies, place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Sandwich cookies are a kind of cookie that takes two cookies and sticks them together with some sort of frosting or marshmallow center! Tiramisu sandwich cookies are made with soft tiramisu-inspired cookies with a marscapone filling!
Looking for More Holiday Cookie Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Orange Cookies
- Pecan Pie Bars
- Best Sugar Cookies
- Chocolate Truffles
- Chocolate Mint Cookies
- Cream Cheese Cookies
- Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies
- Italian Wedding Cookies
Tiramisu Cookies Recipe
Ingredients
For the Tiramisu Cookies:
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar + extra for rolling
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rum extract
For the Mascarpone Espresso Filling:
- 8 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 3 tablespoons softened butter
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso or 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa for dusting
Instructions
For the rum cookies:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
- For the rum cookies: Using an electric mixer cream the butter, sugar, vanilla, and rum extract together until light and fluffy—3-5 minutes. Add the egg and beat until combined.
- Add the baking powder and salt, then slowly add the flour to the mixture until well combined. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes to firm up.
- Scoop small 1- to 1 1/2-teaspoon portions of dough and roll into balls. Place a little extra sugar in a small bowl and roll each ball in sugar before placing on a baking sheet. Use the bottom of a glass to press the dough balls into flat disks 1/2-inch thick. Bake for 9-10 minutes, until just baked through.
For the Mascarpone Espresso Filling:
- Wash the mixing bowl and dry well. Then place the mascarpone and butter in the bowl and beat to combine. Pour the vanilla extract into a small bowl. Add the instant espresso powder and mix to dissolve. Beat into the cheese mixture. Slowly add the 2 cups powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add extra powdered sugar if needed.
- Place the filling in a large zip bag and cut a tiny hole off the corner. Turn half of the cooled cookies over and pipe 1 teaspoon of filling onto the bottom cookies. Top each cookie sandwich and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
i just made these and really am glad i stuck with my intuition and doubled the amounts of espresso and rum extracts, as the flavors were all there without being too much, and that tells me that the amounts listed would likely have left the cookies a little bland. i have other holiday sandwich cookie varieties that i make, and while i felt this dough was ok, i would probably use my dough from my recipe for creme wafers if i made this again, as the other dough imparts a much flakier, melt in the mouth quality that i like better. Still, nice adaptation of a favorite desert.
Does this recipe make 40 cookies so 20 sandwiches once assembled or 80 cookies 40 assembled? Thanks!!
Hi Holly!
It makes 40 sandwich cookies, so 80 unassembled.
Can the anything be substituted for rum extract? Can actual rum be used instead?
Hi Allison!
You can add 1 teaspoon of rum, but the flavor won’t be as strong. I wouldn’t add more, or the batter will be too thin and runny. You can also add almond extract, but I would only use 1/2 teaspoon instead of 1 teaspoon. You can also just omit the rum extract if desired. :)
So great! Mine came out amazing :-)
Silly question, but they have to be refrigerated after baking, correct?
Thanks!
Jen
Hi Jen,
Yes, it’s best to refrigerate them because of the filling. :)
My favorite dessert turned into a cookie!!
How much rum??
Too sweet. Disappointed. I wish I would have tried t the dessert with ladyfingers instead.
Maybe if balls left without flattening might puff up more??? I am wondering do not want to make another batch.
Same thing happened to me, they are flat, no matter if i use dark pan, light pan, both on parchment, good sugar cookie anyways. See if anyone who made it had a problem.
These look incredible.
I am forbidden from baking them until after I’ve lost 10 lbs!
I included a link to your recipe in my Mother-Daughter Tea post today. I hope you’ll take a look: http://www.eeevents.net/#!motherdaughtertea/c1z7y Thanks!