National Root Beer Float Day Has Finally Arrived

Root Beer Floats are the definite taste of summer. For National Root Beer Float Day you can always celebrate this taste in cookies — sandwich cookies — Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookies. Yes, I do have the recipe for you.

I was surprised that a number of my friends who participated in our annual Christmas Cookie Exchange went crazy over these Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookies. The look of pure delight on their faces when they bit into a cookie let me know these are definite winners and the taste of summer needs to be added to the winter season.

Now for purists, on this National Root Beer Float Day I have root beer float recipes for you:

Traditional Root Beer Float:  two scoops of vanilla ice cream topped off with cold and refreshing root beer.

Black Cow: two scoops of chocolate ice cream topped off with cold root beer.

Double Root Beer Float: two scoops of root beer flavored ice cream topped off with cold root beer.

Or for those who want a little bit of each:  a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a scoop of chocolate ice cream and a scoop of root beer flavored ice cream in a glass or mug topped off with your favorite brand of cold root beer.

Now for The Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookie Recipe

Image Compliments of http://www.dessertnowdinnerlater.com

Ingredients yield 2 dozen cookies

• • 2 sticks softened unsalted butter
  • 2 cups light brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp McCormick Root Beer Concentrate
  • 3 1/4 cup flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda

• 6 Tbsp softened unsalted butter
• 6 Tbsp shortening
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla
• 1 1/2 Tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Bring out the stand mixer with the paddle attachment to do some serious mixing. In the bowl cream the butter and brown sugar. Add eggs and root beer concentrate. Mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
2. In another bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking soda.
3. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and combined them together.
4. I love the scoops for cookie dough balls, but if you don’t have one you’re going to use about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cookie dough and make them into balls.
5. Place these balls on a parchment lined baking sheet about 1 1/2 inches apart.
6. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 to 13 minutes.

Now you’re ready to make the Buttercream.

1. Using regular beaters in your mixer, place the butter and shortening in a large bowl. Beat until the mixture is smooth.
2. Add the vanilla and milk with about half of the powdered sugar. Mix well.
3. Add the remaining powdered sugar. Mix well.

Once your cookies are cool, it’s time to make them into sandwich cookies.

1. Get out a sandwich size zip-lock top bag, snip off a corner, put in the buttercream.
2. Flip over a cookie and squeeze out some buttercream icing. You’re going to top the buttercream with a cookie. (The undersides of the cookies will be stuck together with the buttercream and the outsides of the cookies will show on top and bottom of your sandwich cookie.)
3. There you have your first Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookie!
4. Repeat with the remaining cookies.
5. Store in an airtight container.

Now, wasn’t that fun! You get the root beer flavor from the cookie and the ice creamy flavor from the buttercream icing, Root Beer Float Sandwich Cookies.

You could ice the cookies instead of making them into sandwich cookies. It’s all a matter of taste. I like more cookie to icing, but you may like equal amounts.

Enjoy!