I can hardly believe that Christmas is only ONE WEEK AWAY! I thought I was really ahead of the game this year, but it’s looking like I have lots to do still, including plan the meal as I am hosting Christmas dinner this year. The pressure is on, and I have to come up with some really awesome dishes!
I am also really excited about Christmas this year because it’s the first time that Aiden is really grasping the concept of Christmas, and is already very excited for it. He’s going to be so excited when he finds out that everyone will be coming over, because he absolutely loves having visitors!
I thought I would share one last easy and delicious cookie recipe with you today, before I roll out a few holiday desserts. This cookie recipe comes from the Cookie Cravings Recipe book from Maria at Two Peas and Their Pod. The digital books are full of beautiful and delicious cookies, and I highly recommend you pick one up!
These cookies are one of my favourite holiday flavours, ginger and molasses. The cookies have the perfect blend of spices that are not overwhelming, and stay nice and soft because of the molasses. The cookies are rolled in granulated sugar to give them a little texture on the outside, but also a great little sparkle. I opted to fill these cookies with a meyer lemon cream cheese filling, which compliments the cookies perfectly. A nice fresh lemon filling plays off the warm spices of the cookies so perfectly. I used meyer lemons for the filling, but feel free to use regular lemons if that’s what you have on hand. Even though these cookies have two components, they came together really quickly, which is always a bonus when you have lots to do. 
These are the perfect little snacking cookies, that would be a welcome addition to your other holiday baking!
A soft molasses spice cookie sandwiched together with a fresh lemon cream cheese filling.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 3/4 cup (6 ounces), unsalted butter, room temp
- 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup molasses
- granulated sugar for rolling cookies in, about 1/3 cup
- 3 ounces cream cheese, cool
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk to combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and all the spices.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and the vanilla, and beat to combine. Add in the molasses and mix until fully combined.
- WIth the mixer running on low speed, slowly add in the flour mixture, and beat until just combined.
- Scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the dough, and using your clean hands, roll the dough into a ball, then coat with granulated sugar. Place the dough ball on the prepared baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the dough balls about 1-inch apart.
- Bake the cookies for about 8 minutes. (Less time if the cookies are smaller than 1 tablespoon). Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed to combine, about 2 minutes. Add in the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and salt. Beat at low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium high to make it light a fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Take 2 cookies about the same size, and spread the filling on the flat side of the cookie, top with the other cookie to create a sandwich. Repeat until all the cookies are assembled.
Enjoy!!
xoxo Jessica
Cookies adapted from Cookie Cravings, and buttercream is Portuguese Girl Cooks original.
