ESPRESSO BROWN SUGAR SANDWICH COOKIES

These cookies are terrific! My friend Angie found this recipe in an issue of Country Home magazine and shared the cookies and the recipe with us. I made these for bible study this past weekend. I only got 12 sandwich cookies out of the recipe; but like always my cookies are huge. Next time, I will try to make them smaller. While I was looking for this recipe on the Country Home website, I discovered a great selection of recipes to try.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons instant espresso powder (I used 2 T.ground espresso)

2 teaspoons ground giner

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup Turbinado sugar or course granulated sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup Blackstrap or full-flavored Molasses

2-3 tablespoons Turbinado Sugar

1 recipe Brown Sugar Frosting



Method:

In a medium bowl, combine flour, espresso powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Set aside.



In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add the granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating on low speed until combined. Beat in the egg and molasses until combined. Beat in as much of the flour mixture as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour mixture. Cover and chill dough for 2 hours or until easy to handle.



Shape dough into 1 1/2-inch balls (1 heaping tablespoon dough each). Roll balls in the turbinado sugar. Place about 2 1/2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Flatten balls slightly. Bake in a 350 degrees oven for 12 to 15 minutes or until edges are set. Let stand on cookie sheets for 2 minutes. Transfer to wire racks and let cool. Frost bottoms of half the cookies with a generous 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar Frosting each. Place remaining cookies atop te iced sides of cookies, bottom sides down, to create sandwiches. Makes 12 sandwich cookies.

Brown Sugar Frosting


Ingredients:

1 cup (packed)Brown Sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/4 cup half-and-half or light cream

1 1/3 cups Powdered Sugar



Method:

In a heavy saucepan combine brown sugar, butter and half-and-half. Cook and stir over medium heat to a full boil; boil 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Whisk in powdered sugar until smooth. Let cool (20 to 30 minutes) until of spreading consistency; whisk occasionally.





Source: Country Home Magazine, September 2004