Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Dough
- 115 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 190 g all-purpose flour
- 40 g dutch-process cocoa powder
- 3 g kosher salt
Mascarpone Filling
- 225 g mascarpone cheese, cold, straight from refrigerator
- 60 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 15 ml heavy cream, cold
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 274 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbohydrates
- 33 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 15 g
- Sodium
- 113 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 10 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Cholesterol
- 38 mg
- Potassium
- 111 mg
- Calcium
- 52 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 20 mg
- Phosphorus
- 53 mg
- Zinc
- 0.4 mg
- Vitamin A
- 178 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 1 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.03 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.05 mg
- Niacin
- 0.3 mg
- Folate
- 7 mcg
- Water
- 8 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
- Caffeine
- 3 mg
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the room temperature unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Beat on medium speed until fully incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, Dutch-process cocoa powder, and kosher salt. Gradually add this dry mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing on low speed just until a cohesive dough forms.
Shape the dough into a flat disc, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Preheat your oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll to a thickness of 4 millimeters. Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, punch out stars and transfer them to the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies at 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should appear set.
Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before carefully transferring them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
While the cookies cool, prepare the filling. In a clean mixing bowl, whip the cold mascarpone cheese, sifted powdered sugar, and vanilla extract on medium speed just until thick and holds its shape. If it is too thick, mix in the optional heavy cream.
Transfer the mascarpone filling to a piping bag. Pipe a layer of filling onto the flat bottom side of half the baked star cookies. Top with the remaining cookies, flat side down, pressing gently to push the filling to the edges.
Chef's Notes
- Always use cold mascarpone straight from the refrigerator. Unlike cream cheese, mascarpone has a high fat content and can split or become soupy if it gets too warm.
- Dutch-process cocoa powder is strongly recommended for this recipe. Its neutralized acidity yields a darker, more intensely chocolate-forward cookie that pairs perfectly with the sweet dairy notes of the filling.
- Rolling dough between two sheets of parchment paper is a professional technique that prevents sticking without requiring additional dusting flour, which can lead to dry, tough cookies.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The cookies will soften slightly over time due to the moisture in the mascarpone.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze the unfilled baked cookies only. The mascarpone filling does not freeze well.
Troubleshooting
Dough cracks severely when rolling
Cause: The dough is too cold and rigid right out of the refrigerator
Fix: Press the cracks back together gently with the warmth of your fingers
Prevention: Allow the chilled dough to sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before rolling
Mascarpone filling splits and becomes grainy
Cause: Overmixing the mascarpone, which separates its fat content easily
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Whip on medium speed only until combined and structurally supportive, usually under 1 minute
Cultural Context
The sandwich cookie is a globally beloved format, but this particular variation draws deep inspiration from classic Italian flavor profiles. Pairing a tender cocoa shortbread with a lightly sweetened mascarpone cream echoes the harmonious balance found in desserts like tiramisu. Shaping them into stars evokes traditional European holiday baking, elevating a simple handheld treat into an elegant, festive centerpiece.
