There are three sizes of cookie sandwiches: Little Debbie, Tea Time, and Fat Kid. My friends, this is the fat kid.
This recipe combines my two favorite things: chewy ginger cookies with sweet citrus frosting. They don’t meet my current dairy-free requirements, but I made them for a party a few years ago, and other guests largely devoured them. Some were made with modest amounts, and others with outrageous amounts. Guess which one went first? OBSCENE. What can I say? Fat kids are popular.
These cookie sandwiches are not only beautiful to look at but also delicious. The fluffy orange buttercream is the perfect glue to hold two ginger cookies together. It’s a flavor combination that works. They’re also easy to make, as they only require one bowl and 30 minutes of preparation. This is the kind of party favor that I could get behind.
If you don’t like the cookie sandwich, add a little frosting to each cookie. If frosting makes you gag (who are you?), you can opt to leave it out. These cookies are perfect on their own.
Ingredients
GINGER COOKIES
- Half cup of butter (softened*) = 1 stick
- 1/4 cup sugar
- One medium egg*
- 1/4 cup molasses
- Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, 1 1/2 cups
- One pinch of salt
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- Ground cinnamon and ginger, 1 tsp.
ORANGE BUTTERCREAM
- Half cup of butter (softened*) = 1 stick
- Sugar powder, 2 1/2-3 cups
- One large orange (zested)
- Orange juice, 2-3 tablespoons
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cream butter in a large bowl. Add sugar and egg, and then mix again. Mix molasses into the mixture.
- Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices into a sifter. Gradually sift the dry ingredients over while mixing. Beat until well blended, scraping the sides as necessary.
- While the oven is heating, chill the dough for 10 to 15 minutes.
- To flatten the dough, scoop 1 Tablespoon of rounded balls onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press down lightly with your finger. Rolling the dough in sugar is optional but not required.
- Be careful not to overbake. Bake for 9-11 mins. After cooling completely, prepare the buttercream. Cream butter with zest and add powdered sugar by measuring 1/2 cup. Orange juice can be used to thin the mixture until it reaches the desired consistency. Mix until fluffy and well combined, scraping sides as necessary.
- After the cookies have cooled, spread a generous amount of buttercream over the bottom half of each. Top with the remaining half. Store in an airtight jar for up to several days. They’re best served fresh.
