Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting {Webisode #11}
My Day So Far: Birthday gift shopping for kid’s birthday party this weekend, bus trip across the park for daughter’s playdate!
Naptime Goals: Bake Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting for friend’s daughter’s birthday party. Wrap present and prepare for weekend festivities.
Tonight’s Meal: Spaghetti and Meatball night – it never fails to please!
Parenting Lesson of the Day: Toddler hid your credit cards? Check between the books on your bookshelf.
Last weekend was my friend’s daughter’s 3rd birthday party. She was taking care of the birthday cake and pizza, and to lend her a hand I offered to bring some munchies for the parents. Not that adults don’t like birthday cake, but sometimes we need a little something of our own that is not covered with pink princesses and tiny fingerprints.
My friend Jen first introduced me to this recipe for spice cookies with cream cheese filling when she served them as the adult treat at her son’s birthday party last fall. I fell instantly in love with the unique flavor from the layered spices, moist texture and creamy filling. To give it my own twist I adjusted the spice ratios a bit and flavored the frosting with Meyer lemons (of course!). The addition of the lemon gives the frosting an added tang that contrasts nicely with the deep molasses. I get the feeling the party guests agree with this flavor pairing, the adults, and one of the toddlers, gobbled them right up.
As you’ll see in this video, I made these cookie’s during my daughter’s afternoon naptime the day before the event. Then, the morning of the party, I whipped up the cream cheese frosting with my little helper, and completed the cookie sandwiches. (I am still thanking my lucky stars she didn’t mess up her party dress while she was licking the spatula!) When they were complete I whisked them off to the party in my awesome OXO Good Grip TOP Container, and placed them on the cake stand. Given that I came home with an empty container, I can honestly say they were a hit and would be wherever you might choose to serve them as well.
Recipe
Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
cookie recipe loosely adapted from King Arthur Flour
Ingredients
| 1 c. | unsalted butter, room temperature |
| 1 c. | sugar |
| ½ c. | regular molasses |
| 2 ¼ t. | baking soda |
| 1 t. | Kosher Salt |
| 2 t. | cinnamon |
| 1 ½ t. | cloves |
| 1 t. | ground ginger |
| ½ t. | freshly ground black pepper |
| 2 | large eggs |
| 3 ½ c. | all-purpose flour |
Sanding sugar or granulated sugar for rolling
Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting
| 4 oz. | cream cheese, room temperature |
| 8 T. | (1 stick) unsalted butter |
| 3 c. | confectioners sugar |
| 1 t. | vanilla extract |
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment mix the butter and sugar for 3 minutes, or until pale and fluffy.
3. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the baking soda, salt, molasses, spices and pepper. Mix well until everything is completely combined. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
4. Sift the flour into the batter, mixing only until the flour is not visible anymore. Do not overbeat.
5. Roll the dough into 1 ½″ round balls with your hands and roll in the sanding sugar. Place on a cookie sheet 2″ apart and bake for 11-13 minutes, or until cookies are slightly puffy and slightly darker in color. Remove to a wire rack to cool.
For the Frosting:
1. Mix butter and cream cheese until completely combined. Then, sift in the confectioners sugar and lemon zest. Pour in the vanilla and mix until frosting is completely combined and totally smooth.
To make the cookies: Once the cookies have completely cooled add a little bit of frosting to the underside of one and sandwich a second one on top!
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
If you don’t want a lemon frosting you can always leave the cream cheese frosting plain, or add the zest of an orange or a tiny drop of flavoring extract like vanilla or almond.
Naptime Stopwatch
Making the cookies does not take long, maybe 30 minutes. Allow time for the cookies to cool – at least an hour – before frosting them. Or, store the cookies in an airtight container and frost them the following day right before they are served.
Naptime Reviews
These cookies have slightly more adult flavors, but a lot of kids like them, too. They are great to serve as nibbles on a dessert platter, or just to have around the house!
Meyer lemon? Yes please! These look FABULOUS Kelsey!
Meyer lemon? Yes please! These look FABULOUS Kelsey!
Guaranteed there would be no leftovers around here either! Interesting addition of black pepper. Lemon cream cheese frosting surrounded by two cookies……..yummmm!
Guaranteed there would be no leftovers around here either! Interesting addition of black pepper. Lemon cream cheese frosting surrounded by two cookies……..yummmm!
I love the lemon cream cheese middles! There were a couple that I'd left un-iced in my batch, and I wondered about doing something with a cream in the middle, but then, didn't. Fabulous idea. Now, where can I get Meyer lemons in Paris? Hmmm…
I love the lemon cream cheese middles! There were a couple that I'd left un-iced in my batch, and I wondered about doing something with a cream in the middle, but then, didn't. Fabulous idea. Now, where can I get Meyer lemons in Paris? Hmmm…
This sounds wonderful. I've never made this before but I love this recipe. I will enjoy it. Thanks!
This sounds wonderful. I've never made this before but I love this recipe. I will enjoy it. Thanks!
I'm on a molasses kick right now. Just made a shoofly cake and gingerbread and the other night my husband made some molasses crinkles. I have a gallon of blackstrap in the back hall, too. I just may take these babies for a whirl.
I'm on a molasses kick right now. Just made a shoofly cake and gingerbread and the other night my husband made some molasses crinkles. I have a gallon of blackstrap in the back hall, too. I just may take these babies for a whirl.
Delicious! Found this recipe linked off of Baking Bites. I just happened to have all the ingredients. I ended up with extra frosting though. What to do with it… it's too good to just throw out!Thanks for this great recipe!
Delicious! Found this recipe linked off of Baking Bites. I just happened to have all the ingredients. I ended up with extra frosting though. What to do with it… it's too good to just throw out!
Thanks for this great recipe!
Just made these and they turned out amazing! Thanks
Just made these and they turned out amazing! Thanks
I LOVE these cookies! The gingerbread cookies are incredibly flavorful & the filling is the perfect accent. Since meyer lemons aren’t available this time of year, I made minde with regular lemon. They still turned out fantastic.
Eileen, I am SO thrilled to hear this. Enjoy! xo
[…] the mix of sweet, sour and spicy with these Spice Sandwich Cookies with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting from the Naptime […]