I love ginger cookies and if you recall from a few months ago, I made some pretty awesome ginger snap cookies. I can blame my friend Beth for getting me hooked on these spicy little cookies last spring break. As she has done for the past 20 or so years (since we were about 7), Beth joined us for our Thanksgiving feast. This year she brought these cookies along with some awesome cranberry sauce. The second I took a bite into these amazing cookies I had to know where she got the recipe. I thought they are the perfect Christmas cookie! This is my first post to kick off my holiday baking recipes. I hope you follow me and find some new and old favorites. Even if you have a favorite ginger cookie recipe, give these a try…they are sure to become a holiday tradition. These two-bite sized cookies are perfect for holiday parties or baked goodie boxes. Make these the day before you want to share them with friends and family. The cookies will soften and the flavors will mingle, making them even more irresistable. 
Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Cinnamon Cream Filling
For the Cookies:
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar; more for rolling
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
For Cinnamon Cream Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the molasses, egg, and vanilla and continue to beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low, slowly add flour mixture, and mix until just incorporated, about 1 minute. Shape the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- Place 1/2 cup sugar for rolling in a shallow bowl. Roll a heaping teaspoon of dough into a ball between your palms, roll the ball in the sugar, and then place it on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls about 2 inches apart. Butter the bottom of a drinking glass and then dip the bottom of the glass in the remaining sugar. Flatten the dough balls slightly with the bottom of the glass, dipping the glass in sugar as necessary to prevent sticking (after every 2 or 3 cookies).
- Bake in preheated oven 12 to 14 minutes until the cookies feel dry to the touch and are beginning to firm up (they’ll still feel soft inside). Cool completely on wire rack.
- To make the cinnamon cream filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add cinnamon and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Spread about 1 rounded teaspoonful cinnamon cream filling on flat side of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, forming a sandwich. Repeat with remaining filling and cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
Source: Darby O’Shea, originally from Fine Cooking
Yum! I want one!
Hi Christina,
Beautiful photos! I love ginger cookies (remind me of my childhood, actually). We’re just starting to get our recipes together for this year’s Christmas cookies and I see this one in the mix.
Congrats on being featured on foodpress!
Allison at
http://mainstcuisine.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/10-small-things-im-looking-forward-to-this-christmas/
Thanks you so much Allison! You should definitely try these cookies out for this years Christmas cookies…They are super good!
These do sound like the perfect cookies! Letting the flavors marry overnight is a great idea too.
Oh yes! The cookies are excellent when you firt put them together, but wait until the next day-watch out! So addicting!
Talk about taking a ginger cookie up over the top.
Love the filling. I’m adding this to my must make pile….man that pile grows every day….ehehehe.
My pile grows everyday too…so many yummy recipes! Let me know how they turn out for you.
These look and sound amazing! Your photos are awesome too. I’ll definitely have to try. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! Let me know how they turn out!
oh man, just seeing these cookies again makes me want some more! i hope everyone at your work enjoys them, i know i do!
These look soooooo declicious. I love things ginger spiced for the holidays and this cookie seems so ideal for this time of the year. great photography as well!
Thank you so much! I have to agree, ginger spiced anything is so perfect this time of year! Yummy!
Gorgeous looking cookies and I’ll bet they taste as great as they look!
I LOVE ginger cookies!!!
Oh yeah! They are awesome!
Ginger really is great. Wonderful looking cookies, and perfect for the season!
Christina – I blogged yesterday about some recipes I’ve tried this autumn and, of course, several of yours were included. =)
http://prettysweet4815.blogspot.com/2010/11/autumnal-cheer-recipes.html
I have a feeling that my cooking friends will be headed to your site!
Kristen, you are so sweet! Thank you so much for the kind words!
I am so happy that you have enjoyed many of my recipes!
I love your blog, and man do these look good! I’m fifteen and looove baking, all of your pictures were so mouth watering! Thanks so much for sharing!!
If you have time, stop by, http://www.livininthekitchen.wordpress.com
Jess
Thank you so much Jess!! That is awesome that you are fifteen and love to bake. I loved to bake and cook too at that age!
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I am looking for something unique to add to my annual Gluhwein party next weekend– I already have my favorite family recipe for gingersnaps, but the cinnamon cream looks TOTALLY awesome!!!
That sounds like fun! Let me know how they turn out!
these look delicious, i am saving this recipe!
The spices in these make them so festive! THey look delicious!
I made these for my son’s basketball team, for snacks after. One of the boys hates chocolate (I made them your homemade Oreos), so I picked this as an excellent substitute. My husband went mad for them, way over the Oreos (go figure). I still need to finetune the way the cookie wafers came out (they flattened out a lot more than the picture)…
Yum. How many cookies does this make?
Varla,
This recipes makes about 30 sandwich cookies. They are really delicious!
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These look great! I’m not crazy about ginger cookies, but they’re one of my mom’s favorites. I’ll have to whip up a batch of these for her! Thanks for sharing!
These look so delicious!!
These are yummy – love ginger cookies, too. Try putting some dark chocolate chunks in your gingersnaps next time…..
Those look great!
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Making these puppies for the second time in a week! they were a hit on Christmas day and now I’m having them for new years too – they are irresistible! only 1 comments: you only need about 1/2 the filling (or at least I did). I suggest doubling the cookie recipe (believe me, you’ll want more), but only making 1 batch of the filling.
happy 2012!
Emily,
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed these cookies! Thanks so much for letting me know how they turned out! Happy New Year!