Almond Shortbread Sandwiches with Dark Chocolate Ganache (gluten free and vegan)

Whisk together the almond meal, arrowroot, sea salt, and baking soda. Add the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix well until you have a cohesive cookie dough.

Divide the dough into two equal portions. Place each portion onto a sheet of plastic wrap or other food wrap and roll it into a long that is roughly 6 to 7 inches long and about 1 1/2 inches wide. Cover the logs of dough with the wrap and place them in the fridge to chill fully for 4-6 hours or overnight.

When you’re ready to bake the cookies, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment. Remove the logs of dough from the fridge and unwrap them. Using a serrated knife, carefully slice the logs of dough into roughly 1/4-inch thick rounds. Place the rounds onto your prepared baking sheet, leaving at least once inch of space between each. Bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes in your pre-heated oven or until they are turning golden brown around the edges. Cool the cookies completely on the tray.

While the cookies are cooling, make the ganache. Roughly chop the dark chocolate and add it to a small metal or glass mixing bowl along with the coconut cream. Fill a small pot with about an 1 1/2 inches of water and set it on a burner over medium heat. Set the mixing bowl on the pot. The bowl should rest on top of the pot without the bottom of it making contact with the water. You’ve now created a double boiler! As the water begins to simmer, it will release steam that will begin to warm the mixing bowl and melt the chocolate. Once you see the chocolate beginning to melt, stir it gently until it is fully melted and smooth. Remove the bowl with your ganache and set it on the counter.

At this point, you can let the ganache come to room temperature by letting it sit on the counter at room temperature, or you can place it in the fridge and whisk it every 15-20 minutes until it has thickened to a spreadable consistency (this is what I ended up doing to speed up the process). You don’t want it completely solid but rather at a consistency you’re able to spread or pipe onto the cookies!

When you’re ready to assemble, count the number of cookies you have. You’ll only be putting the ganache on half of them. For the half getting the ganache, you’ll flip them over onto the flat side (the side that was face down on the baking tray). You can use either a palette knife or a piping bag to spread the ganache onto the flat side of half of the cookies. I ended up using about a heaped tablespoon on each. Once you’ve placed ganache on half of the cookies, you’ll sandwich them with the remaining half. 

Garnish your shortbread sandwiches with edible flowers if you like before enjoying. Keep leftovers in an airtight container and enjoy within 3-4 days.