You want to know a secret? It’s the secret to a great sandwich cookie.

The secret, my friends, is restraint.

In the case of these gingerbread sandwich cookies, you have to hold back the urge to make big hand-sized cookies. Instead opt for a smaller cookie since there will be two sandwiched together. You have to hold back the urge to double-stuff these guys with vanilla buttercream also. Sure, buttercream is delicious, but too much filling can kill the balance.

If you master the size of the cookie and the filling ratio, these guys really are a thing of beauty. I love making sandwich cookies and these are probably my favorite that I’ve made.

I used Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour for my version and I have to say I was completely surprised by it. It’s one of the best gluten-free flour options I’ve tried. Of course, you can substitute all-purpose flour in this recipe, but the paleo mix was very delicious. I might actually prefer it in a soft cookie like this. It’s pretty unbelievable to me that one of my favorite cookies of the year ended up being gluten free.

Go forth readers and make sandwich cookies, but remember: RESTRAINT.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

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Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 18 Servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Soft gingerbread cookies coated in sparkling sugar and sandwiched around a simple buttercream filling. Your new favorite holiday cookie!

Equipment

Ingredients 

Soft Gingerbread Cookies:

  • 2 ¼ cups Bob’s Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour, SUB: 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1/4 cup molasses
  • Coarse sugar, for rolling

Buttercream Filling:

  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  • For cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl whisk together paleo baking flour (or all-purpose flour), ground ginger, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt.
  • In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer) cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, a few minutes of mixing. Then add in egg, water, and molasses. Finally slowly mix in the dry ingredients until the dough comes together.
  • Chill dough for 30 minutes.
  • When ready to bake, make small tablespoon sized balls of dough out of the gingerbread dough and roll it into a ball. Coat the ball in coarse sugar and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  • Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes until cookies are golden brown around the edges. You should get about 36 small cookies out of this batch.
  • Let cookies cool completely.
  • Meanwhile, add butter for filling to a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar in ½ cup batches and vanilla and beat until smooth. It should be a very thick, but also light filling.
  • When cookies are cooled, add about a tablespoon of filling to each sandwich.
  • Cookies are fine stored at room temperature for a day or two in an airtight container.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Sandwich | Calories: 232kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 408IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Desserts

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Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

This is the stuff I’m talking about. This mix is truly amazing. The first ingredient in this mix is almond flour which gives it a really nutty and almost sweet flavor.

I will admit that due to the ingredients in it, it is a little on the pricy side, but if you are baking for gluten-free people, or if you just like to try new flours, this is a must. I’m keeping a bag in my pantry at all times now.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies 2
This stuff.

Okay. Enough gushing. No matter what flour you use, mix it together with the spices and whisk it well. The ground ginger is important obviously so get a nice fresh jar of it if yours is stale. It makes a difference.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies 2
The mix.

Once you cream the butter and sugar together and add the egg and molasses, slowly add in your dry ingredients and you’ll end up with a beautiful rich gingerbread dough.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Nice color.

Let this chill for a little bit and then roll the dough into balls and coat them in sparking sugar.

Here’s where we work on restraint. Small tablespoon size is what you’re going for. I kept finding myself making them larger as I went but try to keep them within reason.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Ready to bake.

After an 8-10 minute bake at 350 degrees, they should be a little crackly, but still soft on the inside. Perfect.

This is a normal sized baking sheet so you can see the size of my cookies here. They are smaller than I would normally make.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies 2
Perfect size.

I tried to show off the texture on these guys. I really liked the texture of the cookies.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies
Soft and perfect.

Let the cookies cool completely before you try to fill them or you’ll have a melted mess on your hands.

Beat together the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar for a quick buttercream filling. Easy stuff.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies 2
Quick frosting.

Then, again with the restraint, add a dollop and sandwich.

BOOM.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies: Soft gingerbread cookies coated in sparkling sugar and sandwiched around a simple buttercream filling. Your new favorite holiday cookie! | macheesmo.com

These turned out better than expected and as I said, I actually liked my batch with the paleo mix better than my batch with the all-purpose flour, but it was a small difference. Both were great.

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies: Soft gingerbread cookies coated in sparkling sugar and sandwiched around a simple buttercream filling. Your new favorite holiday cookie! | macheesmo.com

These gingerbread sandwich cookies are the perfect thing to take to a cookie swap or just have out for guests. They are a little different and actually not hard to make.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies: Soft gingerbread cookies coated in sparkling sugar and sandwiched around a simple buttercream filling. Your new favorite holiday cookie! | macheesmo.com