Though endlessly tempted by the idea of lining up a “12 days of cookies” series of posts, it just never seems to work out. Six days into December and only now do I remember those grand plans, dreamed up in warm August, so far away from the holiday action. How time flies, and how impossibly busy this season always turns out to be. Regardless, I’ve always been an advocate of quality over quantity, so I’ll save the indecision and uncertainty over questionable cookies, and just present you with one fail-safe, fool-proof winner of a baked good. Who needs the extra 11 recipes if they’ll never get made, anyway?
Both simple in concept and complex in flavor, these sweet little gems will satisfy the sweet tooth of anyone on your list. Rich maple flavor carries these surprisingly soft cookies, accented by the subtle warmth of ginger. Tame enough for the kids to appreciate but still plenty sophisticated for all types of palates, I instantly regretted preparing only a half batch the first time around- They flew faster than I could press two together into a sandwich!
The funny thing is, I thought these were absolute goners as they went into the oven. Impossibly soft, sticky dough molded into delicate little shapes? There was no chance they would stand up to the heat of the oven… And yet, out they came, as perfectly shaped as before. Just treat them with a gentle hand and keep the dough as cold as possible, and you shouldn’t end up with any amorphous cookie blobs, either.
Maple-Ginger Sandwich Cremes
Both simple in concept and complex in flavor, these sweet little gems
will satisfy the sweet tooth of anyone on your list. Rich maple flavor
carries these surprisingly soft cookies, accented by the subtle warmth
of ginger.
Ingredients
Maple-Ginger Cookies:
- 1 Cup Vegan Butter
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan Cream Cheese
- 1/2 Cup Maple Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Light Brown Sugar, Firmly Packed
- 1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
- 1 Teaspoon Maple Extract, Optional
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 Cup Tapioca Starch
Ginger Creme Filling:
- 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter
- 2 – 3 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Maple Syrup
Instructions
- In your stand mixer, cream together the vegan butter, cream cheese, maple sugar, and brown sugar, until softened and smooth. Add in the maple syrup, extract, and salt, and beat on a low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula before proceeding, to make sure that everything is being incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the ginger, flour, and starch, before adding the mixture slowly into the bowl of the stand mixer. Slowly mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until you achieve a smooth, cohesive dough. Scrape it out and cover with plastic wrap and chill the dough thoroughly until firm; at least 2 hours.
- Ounce chilled, preheat your oven to 325 degrees, and line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
- Cut your dough in half, and on a lightly floured surface, roll one half out to about 1/8 inch in thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes of any sort, but try to keep them on the smaller side. My maple leaves were just about an inch wide. Use a thin metal spatula to remove the cut shapes and transfer them to your prepared baking sheets, to prevent tearing or mushing. Be gentle, because it is a very soft dough. If you have trouble removing them from the counter, place a frozen metal cookie sheet over the whole length of dough, and allow the dough to cool down and become firmer before trying to move the cookies again.
- Place your sheet of cut but unbaked cookies in the freezer for just 15 minutes before sliding it into the oven, to make sure they all hold their shape. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes, until the edges are just barely golden. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for about 15 minutes before transferring them to wire racks. Repeat with the remaining half of dough, and re-roll scraps and repeat once more.
- For the filling, once the cookies are completely cool, begin by beating the vegan butter in your stand mixer to soften. Add in the first 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar, along with the spices, vanilla, and maple syrup. Mix on low speed until the sugar is mostly incorporated, and then turn it up to high, whipping the mixture for 3 – 5 minutes until light and fluffy. If it still seems too loose to you, add in the remaining cup of confectioner’s sugar, and whip on high again. Spread on cookies and sandwich two together.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 319Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 184mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 0gSugar: 38gProtein: 2g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.