Date Banana Cream Sandwich Cookies

Submitted by grandma2969

"these are soft cookie sandwiches just like grandma would have liked to make..and maybe did..the cinnamon cream cheese filling is lovely! I have made these with raisins at times.."

 

• Ready In: 40mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Yields: 8 sandwich cookies

ingredients

• COOKIES

• 2 cups unbleached flour
• 3⁄4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 cup butter, softened
• 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
• 1⁄2 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 ripe bananas, peeled
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup pitted dates, cut in small pcs

• CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FILLING

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 3⁄4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

directions

1. Place rack in center of the oven.
2. preheat oven to 350*.
3. line two baking sheets with parchment paper.or spray with non stick spray.
4. to prepare the COOKIES:.
5. sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside.
6. in large bowl with electric mixer on medium cream butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar till smooth and well blended. Stop and scrape down sides of bowl as needed during mixing.
7. breat the bananas into 1" pcs and add the banana and mix until just a few pieces remain.
8. the mixture will look curdled.add egg and vanilla and mix till blended -- about 1-2 minutes.
9. add the flour mixture just until it is mixed in well and batter looks smooth again -- mix in the dates.
10. drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto the prepared baking sheet.spacing them 3" apart.use a small spatula to smooth the tops, spreading them out slightly to about 3/4" thick.
11. bake the cookies, one sheet at a time, until tops feel firm and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.about 15 minutes.
12. cool on cookie sheet 5 minutes before removing to racks to cool completely.
13. turn half of the cookies bottom side up, use a thin metal spatula to spread a rounded tbls of filling over each one -- gently press the flat bottoms of the remaining cookies on top of the filling.
14. wrap each cookies in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour -- serve cold.
15. the wrapped cookies can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.