This week, we launch the sweetest series of the year on Twin Cities Live. It’s my annual 12 Days of Cookies feature that I started (along with producer/photographer Sarah Sundahl) back in 2009. We’ve shared more than 200 recipes and featured dozens of bakers over the years but this holiday season, it became especially important for me to look back at that very first cookie baking season.

That’s because the baking icon of Minnesota, Marjorie Johnson, passed away on October 30th at the age of 106. 106! What a life and a what a privilege it was to bake with her, hear her stories and just soak up her over the top personality and positivity. As I’ve been looking back at photos and videos of my time with Marjorie, I thought it was fitting to share my favorite recipe from that first year of cookie baking — the cream wafer cookies.

These are flaky and melt in your mouth. They’re not too sweet with a lovely crunch from the sugar coating. I remember loving them when Marjorie baked them for me and they were just as delicious when i shared them on Minnesota Live today.

Cream Wafer Cookies

*adapted from The Road to Blue Ribbon Baking with Marjorie by Marjorie Johnson

Gather This:

Dough:

• 1 cup butter, slightly colder than room temperature
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Filling:

• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Do This:

In a stand mixer, combine the butter and whipping cream. Add the flour and mix to combine. Form into a disk, cover the plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, roll the dough out between 1/8 and 1/4 inch thick. Cut with a round 1 1/2 inch round cutter. Pour sugar into a shallow baking dish and coat the cookies on both sides with sugar. Arrange on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake 7-9 minutes. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling, put the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer and whip to combine.

Spread a thin layer of the filling between 2 cookies.

Both the cookies and the filling can be tinted with food coloring, if desired.