Brown Sugar Cookie and Ganache Sandwiches

Ingredients

Ganache

• 4 (2-ounce) bars DAGOBA 68% dark chocolate, finely chopped (Los Rios, Milagros or Pacuare)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup DAGOBA unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Directions

To make the ganache: Melt the chocolate with the cream in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of about 1 1/2-inches of nearly simmering water, whisking until smooth. Let stand at room temperature, whisking occasionally, for about 45 minutes, until cooled, thickened, and a spreadable consistency.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 10- by 15-inch baking pan with aluminum foil, letting the foil extend about an inch over the narrow ends.

To make the cookies: Whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl. Sift the cocoa powder over the mixture and whisk to combine well.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the butter and sugar in a large deep bowl, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, as necessary, for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in 2 batches just until combined; the dough will be stiff.

Spoon the dough onto the pan and spread the batter evenly with a long thin metal spatula. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, it will not be dry; do not overbake. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Invert the baking pan onto a work surface. Peel off the foil. With a long serrated knife, cut the cookie layer in half crosswise. With a long thin metal spatula, spread the ganache evenly over one of the halves, leaving a 1/8-inch border around the edge. Carefully set the other half on top, aligning the cut edges. Cover with loosely with foil and refrigerate for about 2 hours, or until the ganache is set.

With a long serrated knife, trim the uncut edges of the layers. Cut the layers lengthwise into 6 strips, then cut each strip into 8 bars. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Note: If you can't find the specific chocolate called for, you can substitute another chocolate with about the same intensity-the higher the percent of cacao solids (labeled as % cacao) in a bar, the more intense the chocolate flavor. Bars labeled simply as bittersweet, semisweet or dark can be used in any recipe calling for any recipe calling for chocolate of less than 70% cacao.