Bunny Sandwich Cookies with Marshmallow Cream Frosting

I'm not normally excited by Easter when it comes to baking and crafts, like I am by other holidays like Christmas, but the warmer weather inspired me to start thinking about spring and Easter.  When I'm looking for some inspiration, the first place I always go is Pinterest!  I came across this post for the most adorable cookies I had ever seen.  They seemed pretty simple so I figured I could replicate them.

To be honest I never even read the recipe for the cookies, I just decided to use my go to sugar cookie recipe.  I mixed up a batch of dough, divided it in half, then kneaded Wilton's Golden Yellow color gel into one half and Rose color gel into the other half.  Of course as soon as Roman saw what was going on he would not leave the mixer alone until he got to lick the beater.  This boy has sure learnt fast that the mixer is for making treats!  Once the color was evenly distributed, I wrapped the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerated it over night.

When Roman went down for a nap after lunch, I took the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for a few minutes to warm slightly; this makes it a bit easier to roll out.  I rolled out one color at a time to 1/4" thick on a well floured surface, and cut out heart shaped cookies using a cookie cutter that I picked up at Bulk Barn.  To form the bunny head, cut one heart in half and lay it on a parchment lined baking sheet with the halves slightly separated to form the ears.  Then lay a heart on top of the two halves with the point between the ears to form the head.  All three pieces will adhere to each other while they bake.  Make sure you have one regular heart cookie for each bunny head to complete the sandwich.

 

Bake the cookies at 350° for 5-8 minutes until the cookies are cooked through but aren't too brown around the edges.  Allow cookies to cool completely on a wire rack.  Be VERY gentle when moving the cookies from the baking sheet to the wire rack, or you might end up with some one eared bunnies, like me.

 

Marshmallow Cream Frosting

7 oz. marshmallow cream

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1/2t vanilla

 

Cream butter until smooth.  Add marshmallow cream and mix well.  Slowly add in icing sugar followed by vanilla and whip until smooth.

 

 

Spread a decent amount of the frosting onto the back of the bunny head and sandwich on a heart cookie, making sure to have the good side of each cookie facing out.  Place a small amount of the frosting on one side of a Smartie and stick it on the back of the sandwich as the bunny's tail. 

 

When it comes to the bunny's face you have a few options.  You could use royal icing as it would set nice and hard, or you could go the route I did and use chocolate.  I melted down some chocolate wafers in a double boiler then placed it in a homemade parchment paper piping bag.  To make the piping bag simply cut a large circle out of parchment paper.  Fold the circle in half and then in half again to make a cone.  Cut the tip off the cone, open up the pocket in the cone and spoon in the chocolate.  Pipe eyes and a nose on to each of the bunny faces.  Set the cookies aside until the chocolate sets and they are able to be stacked. 

 

 

I absolutely love the way these cookies turned out!  Not only are they adorable but they are seriously tasty!  The marshmallow cream frosting is gooey and just sweet enough without being over powering.  Once the frosting sets it also takes on a marshmallow like texture which is perfect for Easter.  These cookies would be great for a kids Easter party or as part of a dessert table at your Easter meal.  I actually packaged a couple of these up in a cute Easter cellophane bag with a little carrot tag (all from Bulk Barn) and handed them out at play group.  I'm sure all the other mom's appreciated my sugaring up their kids...