Description
Craft spiced gingerbread cookie sandwiches with creamy filling. Chewy spiced cookies hug a tangy cream cheese filling, perfect for festive moments and sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
- For the Chewy Gingerbread Cookies:
- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup (150g) dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ cup (120ml) molasses (unsulphured)
- 1 large egg yolk
- For the Tangy Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat cream cheese, chilled
- ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3–4 cups (360-480g) powdered sugar, sifted (adjust to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional Garnish:
- A sprinkle of ground cinnamon
- Edible glitter for a festive touch
- Make It Special:
- Orange zest (a pinch in the cookie dough)
- A tiny bit of cardamom (in the spice mix)
Instructions
- Mix Up the Cookie Dough:: First things first, grab your stand mixer—or a big bowl and some elbow grease, honestly. Cream together that softened butter and dark brown sugar until it’s light and fluffy. This is where you’re incorporating air, making for a tender cookie. Then, beat in the molasses and that single egg yolk. It’ll look a bit weird and separated at first, but keep going; it’ll come together. The smell starts to get really promising here, that deep, sweet molasses aroma. Don’t worry if it looks a little messy, mine always does!
- Add the Dry Ingredients and Spices:: In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, baking soda, and a pinch of salt. This ensures all those lovely spices are evenly distributed. Gradually add this dry mixture to your wet ingredients, mixing on low speed until *just* combined. Seriously, stop as soon as it comes together. Overmixing is my nemesis; it develops the gluten too much, and you’ll end up with tough cookies. You want a soft, slightly sticky dough. I’ve definitely mixed too long and cursed my tough cookies before.
- Chill That Dough:: Now, divide your dough in half, flatten each into a disc, wrap them in plastic wrap, and pop them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or up to an hour. This chilling step is crucial, friends! It helps firm up the dough, making it much easier to roll out, and prevents your cookies from spreading too much in the oven. I always try to skip this step when I’m in a hurry, and it never works out well. Patience is a virtue here, I promise!
- Roll and Cut Your Cookies:: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line baking sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc of chilled dough to about 1/4-inch thickness. Use your favorite cookie cutters—I like simple rounds or squares for Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches. Carefully transfer them to your prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each. This step sometimes gets a bit chaotic for me, with flour dusting everything, but it’s part of the fun!
- Bake ‘Em Up:: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set and just barely golden. The centers might still look a little soft, but they’ll firm up as they cool. Don’t overbake! That’s how you get dry, crumbly cookies instead of chewy ones. I always set a timer for 8 minutes and then check them obsessively. Let them cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. This helps them firm up without breaking.
- Whip Up the Frosting and Assemble:: While the cookies cool, make your cream cheese frosting. Beat the softened butter and chilled cream cheese together until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it’s light and fluffy, then beat in the vanilla. Once your cookies are completely cool (seriously, completely!), spread a generous dollop of frosting on the flat side of one cookie, then gently top with another. Repeat until all your Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches are ready. This is where it gets messy and fun!