Description
Chewy Ginger Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting are a delightful Christmas cookie from Oh Sweet Day! A Celebration Cookbook! With a lemon cream cheese middle, these chewy ginger sandwich cookies are decadent but not overly sweet, and they go perfectly with a cup of tea or a mug of hot chocolate!
Ingredients
For the cookies:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
For the frosting:
- 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cookies:
- Pre-heat the oven to 325F and line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes.
- Beat in the egg and molasses until combined.
- In a small bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Roll the dough into tablespoon-sized balls and arrange on the baking sheets about two inches a part.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes. Depending on the size of your pans, you will likely need to bake the cookies in two batches.
- Let the cookies cool on the pans for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the frosting:
- In a medium-sized bowl, add the cream cheese, butter and lemon juice and using an electric mixer, beat on medium speed until creamy. About 2 minutes.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined. Then increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy. About 5 minutes.
- Using a knife, spread the frosting on the bottom side of 18 of the cookies. Top with the other 18 cookies to make sandwiches.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy within 4-5 days, or freeze for later enjoyment.
Notes
- To ensure your cookies turn out flat and chewy, make sure you beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This will really take about 5 minutes.
- Be sure to space out the dough balls at least 2 inches apart before baking. The cookies will spread out and flatten, so they need the extra space.
