Description
Delight in the festive flavors of these Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches, featuring tender spiced cookies filled with a creamy orange-zested buttercream and tangy jellied cranberry sauce. Perfect for holiday celebrations, these sandwiches offer a delightful balance of warm spices and bright fruitiness, all dusted with powdered sugar for a beautiful finish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the cookies:
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup unsulphered molasses
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 2 tsp tightly packed orange zest
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
- 1/2 cup jellied cranberry sauce
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients for cookies: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, ground ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, kosher salt, cloves, allspice, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
- Cream butter and sugar: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature unsalted butter and dark brown sugar on medium speed for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. With the mixer running, slowly drizzle in the molasses, mixing well. Scrape down the bowl as needed to ensure uniform mixing.
- Add egg and vanilla: Add the large egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
- Combine wet and dry mixtures: Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in three batches, mixing just until combined after each addition to avoid overworking the dough.
- Chill the dough: On a lightly floured work surface, place the dough, divide it into two equal portions, and form each into a disk. Wrap each disk tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper to prevent sticking and ensure even baking.
- Roll and cut cookies: Working with one dough disk at a time while keeping the other refrigerated, generously flour your work surface and roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness. Use a round or cookie cutter about 2 to 3 inches wide to cut out cookie shapes. On half of these cookies, cut smaller shapes out of the centers to create cutouts. Place all cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Collect scraps to reroll or bake as mini cookies.
- Bake the cookies: Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until the cookies are set but still soft to the touch. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare the filling: In a clean stand mixer bowl with a paddle attachment, beat together the softened butter, tightly packed orange zest, vanilla extract, and kosher salt on medium speed until creamy and well combined. Lower the mixer speed and gradually add powdered sugar until just incorporated. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, approximately 1 minute. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag or resealable plastic bag with the corner snipped off.
- Prepare cranberry sauce: Loosen the jellied cranberry sauce by whisking it lightly in a small bowl to achieve a spreadable consistency.
- Assemble the cookie sandwiches: Pipe a 1/4-inch thick ring of frosting on the underside of each whole cookie. Fill the center inside the ring with a thinner layer of frosting, then spoon cranberry sauce on top of the frosting. Place a cutout cookie on top, flat side down, to sandwich the filling. Repeat for all cookies.
- Serve and store: Optionally dust the assembled cookie sandwiches with powdered sugar before serving. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. For best presentation, add cranberry sauce on the day of serving.
Notes
- Chilling the dough is essential to ensure easy rolling and to prevent spreading during baking.
- Cutting out the cookie centers creates a beautiful window effect on half of the cookies and adds visual interest.
- Use a sharp cookie cutter for clean shapes and ease of cutting.
- For the freshest appearance, add the cranberry sauce to the sandwiches the day you plan to serve them to avoid sogginess.
- Leftover dough scraps can be rerolled carefully to make mini cookies to enjoy alongside the sandwiches.
- Make sure all ingredients, especially butter and egg, are at room temperature for the best texture.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie sandwich
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 25mg
