These creature-of-the-night creations sandwich a rich dulche de leche filling between chocolate cookies. You will need an aspic cutter to form the bat shapes.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 1/2 dozen

　　3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

　　1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa

　　3/4 teaspoon coarse salt

　　1/4 teaspoon baking powder

　　1/4 cup granulated sugar

　　1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

　　2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

　　1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk

　　4 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

　　1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

　　1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons dulce de leche (page 291, or store-bought)

　　

Step 1

Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, and baking powder. Beat butter and sugars with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg, yolk, chocolate, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate 1 hour.

　　

Step 2

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out 36 rounds with a 2-inch cutter, and space 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using an aspic cutter set, cut a triangle, point side up, in the center of half the cookies, and then use the half-moon cutter to make one “wing” on each side of the triangle. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Preheat oven to 375°F. Bake until set, 7 to 9 minutes. Let cool. Top each uncut cookie with 1 teaspoon dulce de leche and a cutout cookie. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container between layers of parchment at room temperature up to 3 days.

　　Martha Stewart's Cookies