Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Maple Filling

It’s time for another recipe swap! For this round, the theme was Holiday Cooking and Baking, which is certainly right up my alley! I got Coleen’s blog The Redhead Baker and she had quite a few holiday recipes to try. I usually try to pick a non-cookie recipe to expand my horizons, but it’s been pretty busy getting back to work. I decided to make a holiday cookie from Coleen’s blog. I love ginger cookies so you are probably not surprised that I chose the Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Maple Filling.

The cookies are a refrigerator cookie, which is the best type if you are busy. The dough has to refrigerate for 90 minutes, and since I tend to do my baking in the evening after work, I figured I would make the dough one night and then bake and sandwich them the next day. That worked out wonderfully! The dough didn’t get too hard or anything, so feel free to refrigerate the dough to fit your schedule.

The recipe says to cut the dough 1/8” thick, and I’m not sure that I got mine quite that then, so I would estimate that my cookies were more like ¼” thick. They are pretty tiny little cookies, but when paired together with the maple filling it makes a nice little treat. I’ll admit that the cookies look a little plain, but look like perfect little tea cookies when all finished. I loved the flavor of these; they aren’t overpoweringly gingery, but you get that flavor. Ginger and maple come together to create a nice treat. I always have a lot of fun participating in the recipe swaps and thanks to Sarah from Taste of Home Cooking for organizing the swaps.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies with Maple Filling

2-1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons molasses

1 egg

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the brown sugar, butter and molasses on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light. Add the egg and stir to combine. With the mixer running on low, add the flour mixture and stir until the flour is incorporated and the dough comes together.

Divide the dough in halves, shape each portion of dough into an 8” long log. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and secure the ends. Refrigerate for 90 minutes (or longer).

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

Working with one piece of dough while keep the other refrigerated, cut the dough into ⅛-inch thick slices. Place on the prepared baking sheets and bake just until set and golden, about 8 minutes. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack.  

Make the filling: in a large mixer bowl cream the butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar and maple syrup, and stir until smooth. Sandwich the cooled cookies together with the maple filling.

Recipe from The Redhead Baker