Description
These Gingerbread Linzer Cookies with White Chocolate combine the warm, spicy flavors of gingerbread with a luscious white chocolate ganache filling. Perfectly tender and festive, these sandwich cookies are dusted with confectioners’ sugar for a beautiful presentation, making them an ideal treat for holiday celebrations or cozy winter afternoons.
Ingredients
Scale
Cookie Dough
- 1 cup butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For Assembling
- 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup white chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to cream the softened butter and brown sugar together on medium speed for about 2 minutes until the mixture is soft and fluffy.
- Add Vanilla and Molasses: Beat in the vanilla extract and molasses until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate small bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, and salt. Gradually add this mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until the dough comes together into a slightly sticky mass.
- Chill Dough: Transfer the dough onto a large piece of plastic cling wrap. Form it into a ball and flatten into a disc. Wrap tightly and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight to firm up.
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Baking Sheets: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line two half-sheet baking pans with parchment paper or silicone mats for easy release and cleanup.
- Roll Out and Cut Cookies: Lightly flour a clean surface and roll out the chilled dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch Linzer cookie cutter to cut out cookies. On half of them, use a smaller cookie cutter to cut shapes out of the center. Re-roll scraps to cut out any remaining cookies.
- Chill Cut Cookies: Arrange the cookies about one inch apart on the baking sheets and refrigerate for another 10 minutes while the oven finishes preheating to help them keep their shape while baking.
- Bake Cookies: Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown. The cookies will be soft to the touch when done. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
- Prepare White Chocolate Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until it begins to simmer, taking care not to boil. Remove from heat and pour over white chocolate chips in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then gently stir until smooth and all chocolate has melted. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes until the ganache thickens.
- Assemble Cookies: Dust the cookies with the cut-out centers with confectioners’ sugar. Spoon about one teaspoon of chilled ganache on the bottom halves without cut-outs. Carefully top with the sugar-dusted cookies to create sandwiches. Optionally, fill the open centers with extra ganache using a piping bag for decoration.
Notes
- Store cookies in a single layer in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to one week.
- To freeze unassembled cookies, layer them in an airtight container separated by parchment paper. Freeze assembled cookies with caution as the confectioners’ sugar may melt upon thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 sandwich cookie
- Calories: 150 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 60 mg
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated Fat: 5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
