Chocolate-Filled Vanilla Cookies

Tiny, crisp vanilla cookies with a chocolate disc in the center, just right for Purim. With the holiday coming up, I decided to shape them like little hamantaschen, but of course you can make them without the chocolate and in any shape you like. The dough is easy to make with no mixer, and especially easy to work with.

Ingredients

• 180 g softened butter or margarine.
• 60 g powdered sugar (½ cup).
• 30 g white sugar (3 tablespoons).
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
• 1 large egg.
• 320 g all-purpose flour (2¼ cups).
• 5 g baking powder (1 teaspoon).
• 30 g cornstarch (3 tablespoons).
• 10 g instant vanilla pudding mix, such as Jell-O (1 tablespoon).
• Chocolate discs, for the center.

Instructions

1. In a wide bowl, combine the softened butter cut into cubes (or the margarine), powdered sugar, white sugar and vanilla bean paste. Work them with a spatula into a creamy mixture. Add the egg and mix well until absorbed.
2. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, cornstarch and vanilla pudding mix. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and knead into a smooth, pleasant dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for about half an hour.
3. Divide the dough in two, roll each half between two sheets of parchment paper to a thickness of about ⅜ inch (1 cm), and cut out small circles. Shape them like hamantaschen, and press a chocolate disc into the center of each.
4. Bake in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for about 11–12 minutes. The baking time depends on the size of your cookies; I recommend checking the bottoms after about 10 minutes and adding more time if needed.