Ginger Sandwich Cookies : I did a terrible terrible thing guys,The kind of thing that gets you kicked off the Polar Express. Or high-fived by the Grinch….

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I’m home in the burbs this week for a catering gig so I’ve been staying at my parent’s house “using my mom’s 2 oven kitchen instead of my 1 oven apartment is FABULOUS ” and I needed to take pics of these yummy yummy Ginger Sandwich Cookies… only problem is that my food props have been mercilessly evicted from my mom’s kitchen so I was sent on a scavenger hunt in our storage room to track down my mini white plates. I was going through cupboards…until I found one with a key so exciting! there’s never a key… so I opened it…..

……and found every. single. Christmas present! Unwrapped. I felt like a 7 year old again, waiting for my mom to ground me. Like she was going to take away my Tamagatchi (please tell me you guys know what that is). So instead of fessing up I’ve been on a Christmas cookie baking binge to restore holiday order. Enter Ginger Sandwich Cookies.
And these cookies are fabulous!! I’ve tried a couple different ginger cookie recipes so far this season and these are my absolute favorite. The ginger cookie is soft with a perfectly balanced smooth flavor – and the light lemon cream cheese frosting sandwiched in between is so so good.

I wish I could take credit for this recipe but it all goes to Fine Cooking. I swear by their cookie recipes, I’m making at least 3 of them for Christmas day.

Sandwich cookies are always a little more time consuming but these are totally worth it. You can make the actual ginger cookies weeks in advance and freeze – then make the frosting whenever you want to serve them and easily assemble. These will definitely be debuting this year at my house!

How to Make Ginger Sandwich Cookies ??

Step 1

Make the Ginger-Spice Cookies : Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and salt.
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 the 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.
Put about 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands, roll teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies slightly. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies feel dry to the touch and are beginning to firm up (they’ll still feel soft inside), 10 to 14 minutes. Cool completely on racks.

Step 2

Make the Lemon Cream : With a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and lemon zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to mix until smooth.

Step 3

Assemble the Cookies : Drop about 1 tsp. of the lemon cream in the center of a cookie, top with another cookie, and gently press them. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

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Ginger Sandwich Cookies

Recipe by Mary FloerkeCourse: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Moderate

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories

210

kcal

Soft, chewy ginger cookies spiced with cinnamon, ginger, and cloves are sandwiched with a smooth vanilla or cream cheese filling—perfect for the holidays or anytime you want a nostalgic, warmly spiced treat.

Ingredients

For the Ginger-Spice Cookies
9 oz. (2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. ground ginger
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cardamom
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar; more for rolling
1/4 cup unsulphured molasses
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
For the Lemon Cream
4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 Tbs. finely grated lemon zest (from 1 medium lemon)
6 oz. (1-1/2 cups) confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Make the Ginger-Spice Cookies : Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line three baking sheets with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, baking soda, and salt.
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 the 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.
Put about 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Using your hands, roll teaspoonfuls of dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in sugar and arrange them about 2 inches apart on the lined baking sheets. Use the bottom of a glass to flatten the cookies slightly. Bake one sheet at a time until the cookies feel dry to the touch and are beginning to firm up (they’ll still feel soft inside), 10 to 14 minutes. Cool completely on racks.
Make the Lemon Cream : With a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and lemon zest in a medium bowl until smooth. Slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and continue to mix until smooth.
Assemble the Cookies : Drop about 1 tsp. of the lemon cream in the center of a cookie, top with another cookie, and gently press them. Repeat with the remaining cookies. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Notes

Molasses : Use unsulphured molasses for a rich, deep flavor. Avoid blackstrap molasses, which can be too bitter for cookies.
Cookie Texture : For soft and chewy cookies, don’t overbake—remove them from the oven when the edges are just set. They’ll firm up as they cool.
Filling Options : A classic vanilla buttercream works well, but you can also try cream cheese frosting, lemon buttercream, or even marshmallow fluff for variety.
Storage : Store assembled sandwich cookies in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them come to room temperature before serving.
Uniform Size : Use a small cookie scoop to portion dough evenly for consistent sandwiching.