Raspberry Cream Sandwich Cookies

These cookies were made by my sister Dolly a few weeks ago. When I tasted them, I instantly told her that they were some of the best cookies I'd ever had (I am a cookie monster!!!). I couldn't get enough of them. The real vanilla bean is the secret ingredient, I think. These are great with the raspberry filling, but I made them the other day without the filling and they were good, too. I will say that mine were flatter than Dolly's. I think it was because my butter was salted? I prefered Dolly's fluffier (like the above cookie) version:) This is from Martha Stewart's Magazine:

1 3/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 Sticks (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softenened

1 1/2 C plus 2 tsp sugar

1 Large Egg

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 vanilla bean, halved with seeds scraped and reserved

6 oz (1 Cup) fresh raspberries

7 1/2 oz. good quality white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/3 Cup heavy cream

*Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt and set aside. Mix butter and 1 1/2 Cups of sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes. Add egg, extract and vanilla bean seeds;mix until smooth. Reduce speed to low and gradually add in flour mixture.

*Scoop batter into 1 inch scoops and place 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Bake cookies 4 minutes. Take out and tap on counter to flatten cookies. Return for another 6 minutes. Let cool.

*Puree raspberries and remaing 2 tsp sugar in food processor or blender. Pour mixture through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing to extract juice. Discard seeds. Set aside. Melt white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of hot water. Remove bowl from pan and mix in cream, in a low stream. Whisk in raspberry mixture and and refrigerate 20 minutes.

*Spread 1 heaping tsp. raspberry cream onto the underside of cookies. Sandwich with remaining cookies.