Orange Ginger Cookie Sandwiches

 

Ingredients

• 3/4cup whole blanched almonds, toasted
• 2 1/3cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3/4teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4teaspoon salt
• 1/4teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg or ground nutmeg
• 1/8teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3/4cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel
• Powdered sugar
• Orange Curd (recipe follows)

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse toasted almonds with on/off turns until finely ground. In a medium bowl, combine flour, the ground almonds, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg and cloves; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg, molasses and orange peel. Beat until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Using a wooden spoon, stir in any remaining flour mixture. Divide dough in half. Cover and chill for 2 hours or until dough is easy to handle.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time until it is 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Cut dough using a 2-inch cookie cutter with scalloped edges. Use a metal spatula to place cutouts 1 inch apart on a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. Using a 3/4-inch cookie cutter, cut desired shapes from centers of half of the cookies. Reroll scraps as necessary (if needed, chill scraps before rerolling).
4. Bake cutouts in a 350 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges are light brown. Cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute. Transfer to a wire cooling rack; cool completely.
5. Sift powdered sugar onto the cookies with the centers cut out. Spread about 1 teaspoon of Orange Curd over the bottom sides of the cookies with no cutout centers. Top with the powdered sugar cookies, bottom sides down. Serve within 2 hours. Makes about 48 sandwich cookies. So delicious

Tip

• Tip: A round cookie cutter with scalloped edges is a nice shape for these cookies, but bell, tree or star cutters are also good choices.

Storage

• Storage: Store unfilled cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Orange Curd

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel
• 3/4 cup orange juice
• 6 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup butter

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Add orange peel and orange juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Gradually stir about half of the orange mixture into lightly beaten egg yolks. Return egg mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, cut up, until butter melts. Transfer to a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour. Makes 1-1/2 cups.