Grape Cookies: A Tangy-Sweet, Buttery Confection

Black grapes are an underrated seasonal fruit that don’t seem to have very many uses apart from featuring as a bright violet glass of juice or milkshake at the odd food joints. The pucker some sweet flavour of these grapes is a unique flavour profile. It works phenomenally in a fruit custard or trifle, or even for a quick grape compote to drizzle over your breakfast pancakes.

However, these unique sandwich cookies stuffed with a beautiful grape icing taste like your favourite grape-flavoured hard candy that was binged on, when we were kids. They’re buttery-soft, with a moist crumb and a creamy icing with a pronounced tartness that is hard to miss. Make a batch of these for your tea party with friends or eat them during a Saturday night-in, as an accompanying snack to your favourite shows or movies.

To make the grape cookies, you will need:

Ingredients [For the cookie dough]:

• 300 grams softened butter
• 1 cup fine sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups flour
• 1 pinch salt

Also Read: 

5 Amazing Benefits To Eat Black Grapes Regularly

Ingredients [For the icing]:

•  2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 cup softened butter
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons black grape juice
• Small pinch of salt
• Sliced black grapes

Method:

• In a large bowl, combine the butter and fine sugar and blend with a whisk until it reaches a fluffy, creamy consistency. Add the eggs and whisk thoroughly. Add the vanilla, salt and flour and mix using a spatula until the ingredients start to come together. Empty the bowl on to a clean work surface and knead with your hands for a couple of minutes, until smooth. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow it to sit in the fridge for an hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer and continue to mix until creamed well. Add a tiny pinch of salt, vanilla and the black grape juice and combine well until the mixture turns a shade of lavender and air is beaten into the mix. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a flat surface until it is an inch in thickness. Using a cookie cutter of your choice (preferably small), cut out cookies from the sheet of dough and place on a floured baking tray. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15-17 minutes. Check after 15 minutes to see if they need additional cook time and adjust accordingly.
• Extract the cookies from the oven and place on a wire rack until cooled. Using an icing spatula, frost one side of the cookie with the grape icing and place a couple of slices of fresh grapes on top. Place another cookie on top of the frosted one to make a cookie sandwich. Repeat the process until complete.