This weekend I noticed oranges and grapefruits from Chile in my produce market. I tried the ruby red grapefruit and found it extra sweet and refreshing. It led me to search for a grapefruit cookie recipe that I found a long time ago on MarthaStewart.com. This recipe requires 1 or 2 grapefruits, depending on the size of the fruit. These cookies are also delicious with or without the filling.
Pink Grapefruit Sandwich Cookies
Makes 15 sandwich cookies
Grated zest of 1 Ruby Red grapefruit, plus 1/4 cup freshly squeezed juice
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large egg yolks
Cream Filling
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed Ruby Red grapefruit juice
In a small bowl, combine zest with 1 tablespoon sugar; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and remaining sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks, and beat until combined. Beat in reserved zest-sugar mixture. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the juice, and beat to combine.
Turn out dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
On a lightly floured work surface, roll out disk to 1/8 inch thick using a lightly floured rolling pin. Using a lightly floured 2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place about 1 inch apart on prepared sheet. Bake until edges are golden, about 18 to 20 minutes. Cool cookies for 5 minutes on baking sheet. Transfer parchment paper and cookies to rack to cool completely.
Prepare filling: In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in honey. Add juice, 1 tablespoon at a time, until filling holds together and is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, cover, and set aside until ready to use.
Using an offset spatula, spread 1 tablespoon filling onto flat sides of half the cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies, keeping flat sides down. Once filled, cookies can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.