These gingerbread sandwich cookies are a favorite in our house around the holidays. About twenty years ago, Britt and I went into one of our favorite bakeries, Roseanne's, in Greenfield, Massachusetts. While we were there, we noticed some sandwich cookies arranged on a cake stand. Two enormous, chewy, gingerbread cookies, overflowing with bakery frosting were sandwiched together. We decided to try one, and the cookie instantly became a favorite for both of us.
Eventually we made friends with the owner, Roseanne. If we went in, and she was out of ginger creams, she would quickly make up a couple and toss them into a waxed bakery bag for us. Roseanne retired and closed her bakery. Not long after, Britt told me that I had to figure out how to make similar cookies. We tried four or five different cookie recipes. We also tried three or four different frosting recipes for the filling. The result... we have finally settled on a recipe that is just about as good as Roseanne's...two perfectly chewy ginger cookies, filled with cream cheese frosting. The combination is sure to delight cookie lovers of all ages and has even become a favorite cookie that we leave out for Santa...
Because our days of eating enormous cookies filled with buttercream are over, these cookies are essentially bite sized (maybe two bites). I used a mini cookie scoop and a tablespoon or so of cream cheese buttercream for each sandwich. If you like your ginger cookies coated with sugar, you can roll the dough in some granulated sugar for added sparkle and crunch.
Making the Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies:
My favorite gingerbread cookie recipe comes from allrecipes. I started with the recipe for Big Soft Ginger Cookies. Butter was used instead of the margarine. I added a tablespoon of milk and made these mini rather than large by using a small (.5 tbsp) cookie scoop. There is also a tiny bit more ground ginger in this recipe.
These cookies are easy to mix together. You can bake them all at once, or freeze the dough in a container. Another option is to scoop the dough onto a sheet pan, freeze, and then store the frozen balls of cookie dough in a large plastic bag until you are ready to bake them.
You'll start by creaming the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy in your stand mixer. Next, you'll add the eggs, molasses, and milk and mix until well combined. Carefully add the dry ingredients and mix the dough until it is just combined. You are ready to start baking!
The mini cookie scoop makes a perfect bite-sized cookie. I like to arrange 16-20 scoops on a half sheet tray and then bake at 350° for exactly 7 minutes. Be careful not to overbake these... you want them chewy not crunchy.
Once the cookies have cooled completely, flip half of the cookies over so that the flat side is facing up. Next, use a pastry bag fitted with a plain tube tip. Pipe about 1 tablespoon of cream cheese buttercream onto each flipped over cookie. If you don't like a cream cheese buttercream (seriously???), try filling them with the Vanilla Bean Buttercream from my Vanilla Bean Cupcake post.
Once you are finished, top each sandwich with a second cookie and voila! They are ready to eat and won't last long...
Recipe adapted from Big Soft Gingerbread Cookies on Allrecipes
Other delicious cookie recipes
- Blood Orange Butter Cookies
- Macadamia Nut Thumbprint Cookies with Citrus and Passion Fruit Curd
- Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
- Brown Butter Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Ingredients
Gingerbread Cookies
- ¾ cup butter softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup molasses
- 1 tbsp milk
- 2 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¾ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 tbsp butter softened
- 2 cups confectioner's sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3-4 tbsp milk
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
Gingerbread Cookies
- Preheat your oven to 350° and line a half sheet pan with parchment paper or spray with a cooking spray.
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, use the paddle attachment to cream the butter and granulated sugar together. Use a medium speed to beat the butter and sugar until they are light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.
- While the butter and sugar are mixing, combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Stop the mixer and add the egg, molasses, and milk. Mix until well combined.
- Stop the mixer and add ½ of the dry ingredients. Turn your mixer on low and combine. Add the second ½ of the dry ingredients. Mix again until the ingredients are just combined.
- Using a small (½ tablespoon) cookie scoop, drop 16-20 balls of dough onto your prepared sheet pan. If you don't have a small cookie scoop, use a teaspoon to scoop the dough, and then use your hands to roll the dough into balls. Roll the cookie dough in granulated sugar and place on your cookie sheet.
- Bake the dough at 350° for 7-8 minutes. You want the cookies to be firm, yet not overcooked.
Cream Cheese Buttercream
- In the bowl of your standing mixer, using the paddle attachment to whip the softened butter and cream cheese until they are light and fluffy - about 5 minutes.
- Add the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and whole milk.
- Turn your mixer on low and combine all ingredients. Once combined, turn the mixer to medium high and whip the buttercream until it is light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stop the mixer, scrape the sides of the bowl, add a pinch of salt to the buttercream and mix once more, on medium high, for about 1 minute.
Making the Sandwiches
- Once the cookies are completely cool, flip ½ of the cookies over so that the flat side is facing up.
- Fit a pastry bag with a plain pastry tube. Pipe the buttercream onto each cookie and then top with another gingerbread cookie. If you don't have a pastry bag, just spoon a dollop of buttercream onto each cookie.
Nutrition
KITCHEN TOOLS THAT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:
AFFILIATE DISCRETION:
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Aimee Brown
I love the story about Roseanne's Bakery, and the cookie-sandwiches in the waxed bakery bag!
They look and sound delicious, and I can't wait to make them for my kids!!
Maple and Thyme
Thanks!!! Let me know what you think once you make the recipe! I loved that bakery....
Britt Smallwood
By far my favorite cookie you make during the holidays. Lucky for me it's that time of year again!
Maple and Thyme
Lucky for you.... 🙂