Chew on This | Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches

Another holiday cookie for your eating enjoyment! ~ Cares

You can't deny the lure of a sandwich cookie.  There is something so childlike and good about sandwich cookies.  And come on, the whole cookie-filling-cookie thing.  Score!

And these, being made of gingerbread, are so holiday-ish and hip!  You know they'll be a hit.

These cookies are totally soft and spicy good.  The sweetened cream cheese filling adds a tart and sweet bite that is a complement to the spice.  But you have to be careful.  You don't want to make the filling too sweet.  It'll compete (negatively) with the delicious spice.  And that's what gingerbread is all about.  The sassy spice.  You've got to have the spice.

Here's where a good deal of that spice comes from - crystallized ginger.
If you haven't tried it, you must.  It is awesome!  My Boy is in love with it.  In love.  Good stuff!

So, mix up your cookie ingredients and plop that dough on a prepared baking sheet.  While the cookies are baking you can prepare your sandwich filling.

You may be tempted to scarf down these lovelies right now.  At least try one (or four) to see if they're fit for consumption.  You have to be ever so careful these days.

Spread your filling on the bottom of one cookie and top with another.  That's it!  

These cookies are scrumptious!  They'll be a star at the Cookie Exchange Party.   They'll be a star anywhere!

Cares

Here's the recipe:

Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches

Cookie:

1 1/2C flour

3/4t baking powder

1/2t baking soda

2t ground ginger

1t cinnamon

1/2t salt

1 stick butter, softened

3/4C brown sugar

1 egg

1/4C molasses

2T crystallized ginger

Filling:

1 8oz. package cream cheese, softened

2C Confectioner's sugar

2t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350℉.

Cookies:

In a mixing bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and salt.  In another bowl, beat together softened butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add your egg and molasses.

Slowly add your dry ingredients into your wet ingredients.  Mix until combined.  Finally, fold in your crystallized ginger.  Dough will be sticky.

Drop tablespoon-sized rounds of dough onto prepared cookie sheets and bake for 10-14 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool before making sandwiches.

Filling:

Beat together cream cheese and one cup of Confectioner's sugar and vanilla.  Taste.  Continue to add up to one more cup of Confectioner's sugar until you reach a taste that suits you.

Take a cooled cookie and flip over to coat underside with filling.  You can spread it on with a knife, spoon or you could pipe it on.  Top with another cookie, placing bottom of the cookie on top of the filling.  Tah-dahhhhh!  Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches, yum!