Description
These Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches are a festive treat perfect for the holiday season. Soft and lightly spiced gingerbread cookies sandwich a creamy, orange-zested buttercream frosting and tart jellied cranberry sauce, creating the perfect balance of flavors and textures. Easy to make ahead and ideal for sharing with friends and family.
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: In a medium bowl, whisk together the 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 butter and dark brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. While mixing, drizzle in the molasses and continue to mix well, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add Egg and Vanilla: Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and beat until fully incorporated.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients in three batches, mixing just until combined after each addition to avoid overworking the dough.
- Chill Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into two disks, wrap each 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.
- Roll and Cut Cookies: Working with one dough disk at a time, keep the other refrigerated. Flour your work surface generously and roll the dough out to an eighth-inch thickness. Use a 2- to 3-inch round or shaped cookie cutter to cut out cookies. For half of the cookies, cut out smaller shapes in the center to create a window. Place cookies 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets. Save cut-out dough for re-rolling or bake small cookies.
- Bake Cookies: Bake in the preheated oven until the cookies are set but still soft, about 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
- Prepare Filling: In the mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, beat softened butter, orange zest, vanilla extract, and salt on medium speed until creamy and well combined. Reduce speed to low and gradually add powdered sugar, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the bowl, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, about 1 minute. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag with a small tip clipped off.
- Loosen Cranberry Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk jellied cranberry sauce until smooth and loosened for easy spreading.
- Assemble Sandwiches: Pipe a 1/4-inch thick ring of frosting on the underside of each whole cookie. Fill the center with a thinner layer of frosting, then add cranberry sauce on top. Place a cookie with a cut-out center on top to sandwich the filling, aligning flat undersides together. Repeat with all cookies.
- Serve and Store: Optionally, dust assembled 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 freshest taste and shiny cranberry sauce, add the sauce just before serving.
Notes
- Use room temperature ingredients for best mixing results.
- Keep the second dough disk chilled while working with the first to maintain dough consistency.
- The small cutout dough pieces can be re-rolled and baked as mini cookies for an extra treat.
- Do not overbake cookies; they should remain soft when removed from the oven.
- For freshest appearance, add the cranberry sauce the day you plan to serve the cookie sandwiches.
- Store assembled sandwiches carefully to avoid squishing the filling.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie sandwich
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 95mg
- Fat: 11g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 29g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Cholesterol: 30mg
