Red Velvet Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies

These cookies take only 30 minutes from start to finish. So after your fancy Valentine's Dinner out, you can whip these up for your sweetie in no time. 
They are similar to Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, but more cookie-y and less cake-y. 
Delicious, simple and oh-so-pretty. Enjoy these Red Velvet Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies, we sure did!

(As I say for many of my desserts, please have a large glass of cold milk on hand, you'll need it).


Red Velvet Cream Cheese Sandwich Cookies
(makes 15-20 cookies)
Cookies:
INGREDIENTS:
1 box german chocolate cake mix
1 small box of instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons flour
2 Tablespoons red food coloring


DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix together cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, oil, flour and red food coloring. Using a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (or you could use a small cookie scoop), pipe about a Tablespoon of batter for each cookie. Dough should be about 1 1/2" in diameter, a perfect circle. Repeat with the remaining dough being sure to leave 1-2" between each cookie.
3. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Allow to cool on pan for 2 minutes before moving cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. While the cookies are cooling, make the Cream Cheese Filling.


Cream Cheese Filling:
INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons heavy cream, or milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar (plus extra for garnishing)


DIRECTIONS:
1. Cream together cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Beat in milk and vanilla. 
2. Sift 4 cups powdered sugar over the wet ingredients and beat until smooth.
3. Spread or pipe cream cheese filling between two cooled red velvet cookies.
4. Optional garnish: cover the top of a small heart cookie cutter with tape. Place in the center of one of the red velvet cookies and sprinkle sifted powdered sugar over the top of the cookie. Remove the cookie cutter and you're left with a perfect red heart!