Chewy Gingerbread Sandwiches

my favorite cookie plate :) thanks, Leigh Ann for the authentic tender Tennessee leaves

Nothing tastes more like Christmas than gingerbread. Growing up, we always made gingerbread houses, cookies, and gingerbread ornaments. We ate more than we created, I'm sure. Hoping to continue the tasty memories for my little family, I searched online for a recipe. This baby girl and I were craving some spicy and sweet. I loved sharing these treats with some friends and we all agreed that this recipe is a keeper. There's just something about biting into a homemade cookie that makes people feel loved. Just don't eat too many or you'll feel something else, haha! Here are some other gingerbread cookies I decorated a few years ago in case you didn't want to make sandwich cookies out of this recipe. Oh, I love Christmas baking!

 I want you to have the most successful (haha) baking experience with these so, here's a few tips before you get started. You can do it! 

1. Read through the whole recipe before you start... for example, the dough needs to be chilled for at least two hours and preferably over night. You'll want to keep it cold as you bake by storing it in the fridge between baking. 

2. I admit it, I'm a sweet snob. Since my mom owned a bakery and I've been making cookies as long as I can remember, I don't trust many recipes. So, naturally I made some changes. I didn't want to include white pepper (weird), the dough wasn't sweet enough with such a bold molasses flavor so I added more sugar, and the filling needed some vanilla and more powdered sugar so I included those changes below. 

3. I baked these on aluminum foil one round and they didn't turn out as beautiful and puffy as they did just baking them straight on the cookie sheet. If this matters to you, try parchment paper first or just straight on the cookie pan. 

4. Here is my trusted non-stick cookie sheet in case you are interested

5. Here is the original (not trusted) recipe that inspired me

6. If you enjoy baking, then you need a cookie scoop; that little bugga saves me so much time. Time is imporant! Here's one :)

7. The recipe said to bake for 10-12 minutes. If I had followed that, my cookies would have been smoking and basically ginger snaps. I always bake for about half the time the recipe states and then watch the cookies closely. These cookies only took my Florida oven 7 minutes. So, just watch out haha! No one likes putting in all that effort for a burnt cookie. 

8. Plan on sharing with friends. The recipe yielded about three dozen sandwich cookies. It makes a lot! MMMM!

Chewy Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ½ cup butter, softened
• ½ cup margarine
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup granulated sugar plus extra for rolling the cookie dough in

Marshmallow Filling

• 2 (7-ounce) jars marshmallow crème
• ¾ cup butter
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 1 box cup powdered sugar (I needed more)

1. In a medium bowl, combine flour and next 8 ingredients
2. Using a mixer, beat butter, shortening, brown sugar and white sugar at medium-high speed until creamy
3. Add egg, molasses, and vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl to mix evenly
4. Turn mixer to low speed and gradually add flour. Cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. ( I baked mine on the cookie sheet)
6. Use a 1-inch spring-loaded ice cream scoop to scoop dough into mounds and place 3 inches apart on baking sheets
7. Use your hands to roll each mound of dough into a ball. Roll balls in sugar and place back on baking sheet
8. Bake 10 to 12 minutes (Mine only needed 7 minutes). Edges should be firm and centers cracked. Let cool on pans several minutes before removing to wire racks to cool completely
9. For the filling, beat marshmallow crème and shortening at medium-high speed with a mixer until smooth. Mix in maple syrup and vanilla. With mixer turned to low speed, gradually add powdered sugar
10. Place filling in a bag, apply to the flat side of a cookie, pair together with remaining cookies to make sandwiches