Pink Party Cookies

These celebration cookies, referred to as “PPCs,” belong to my husband’s family. His late maternal grandmother, the famous Grandma Margaret, was an exceptional baker, and Pink Party Cookies were one of her most coveted treats—an impossibly short, blond cookie sandwiching a pastel-pink cream filling. The cookie has no leavener, and there should be almost no discernable color on them when baked. I hope this recipe does right by Margaret, who left behind recipe notecards and lots of oral instructions. If the dough feels too soft or smushy when you are rolling it into balls, chill it for 10 minutes to firm it back up.
For the Cookies
- 2¼ cups (270 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons (6 ounces/ 168 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (56 g) vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
For the Filling
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces/84 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 cups (240 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) maraschino cherry liquid, plus more if desired
- 1 to 2 tablespoons heavy cream (15 to 30 ml)
Make the Cookies
- Preheat the oven to 350°F
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, confectioners’ sugar, and salt. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. Scrape down bowl, then add the vanilla and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until the dough comes together, 1 minute more. Portion dough into about 1½-teaspoon (10 g) pieces, then roll them between your palms to form balls, setting them 2 inches apart on a baking sheet as you go. Use a lightly floured fork to slightly flatten the balls and create a crosshatch pattern, rocking the fork from one side to the other rather than pressing straight down into the dough. Bake until there’s a barely perceptible tint of light golden around edge, 8 minutes. Do not overbake. Let cookies cool completely on the pan before filling.
Make the Filling
- In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, and cherry liquid to combine. The mixture may look stiff to begin with, and might appear shiny, greasy, or broken once the sugar dissolves. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cream and whisk to combine and re-emulsify. The filling should be spreadable but not too liquidy; add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cream if needed (or if the filling stiffens while you’re working with it). You can make it more pink, if desired, by adding more cherry liquid ½ teaspoon at a time. Spoon about 2 teaspoons filling onto the flat side of a cookie, then sandwich with a second cookie, flat side down, and press lightly to adhere. Repeat with remaining cookies and filling (you may have some extra filling). Let filling set before serving or storing cookies.
- The unfilled baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days or frozen for up to 2 months. Filled cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let them come to room temperature before eating (or enjoy them cold).