Gingerbread sandwich biscuits
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 10 to 30 mins
- Serve
- Makes 8 sandwich biscuits
- Dietary
- Pregnancy-friendlyVegetarian
Take an easy gingerbread biscuit to the next level by sandwiching them with a sweet ginger cream cheese filling and coating them in jazzy sprinkles. They're perfect if you can't be bothered with piping on decorations.
Ingredients
For the biscuits
- 70g/2½oz unsalted butter, softened
- 70g/2½oz demerara sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp salt
- 90g/3¼oz treacle
- 1 large free-range egg yolk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 230g/8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the cream cheese filling
- 60g/2¼oz unsalted butter, softened
- 200g/7oz icing sugar
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- 80g/3oz cream cheese, softened (see tip)
- 1–2 tsp whole milk (optional)
- coloured sprinkles, to decorate
Method
To make the biscuits, beat together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and salt in a medium bowl until fluffy and lighter in colour. (A handheld electric mixer is best for this, but you can do it by hand if the butter is very soft.)
Add the treacle, egg yolk and vanilla to the bowl and beat again until incorporated.
In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
Stir the flour into the butter-treacle mixture to make a very firm, crumbly cookie dough.
Shape the dough into a rectangle, wrap in cling film (or a reusable bag) and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours (overnight is best).
To make the gingerbread cream cheese filling, beat the butter and icing sugar in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the ginger, vanilla and salt, then gently stir in the cream cheese until combined. You should have a smooth, thick filling. If it's too stiff (cream cheese varies in its consistency), use a little milk to loosen the filling.
Transfer to a piping bag (or plastic storage bag) and place in the fridge.
The next day, preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Take the biscuit dough and the icing from the fridge. Line 2–3 large baking trays with baking paper.
On a lightly floured surface roll out the biscuit dough until 2mm thick. Use a gingerbread cutter to cut into shapes of your choice. Re-roll any scraps of dough and continue cutting until it is all used.
Transfer the biscuits to the prepared baking trays leaving at least 6cm/2in between each biscuit.
Bake the biscuits for 10–12 minutes. The biscuits are done when they are a nice golden-brown colour and the shape will have set slightly firm on the edges. Remove from the oven and leave them to firm up on the tray for 10 minutes. Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack and leave to cool fully.
Once cool, pipe the icing around the inside edge of half of the biscuits. Fill in the middle and sandwich another biscuit on top.
Put the sprinkles in a bowl and dip the biscuits in so they stick all along the edge. Repeat with the remaining biscuits.
Recipe tips
The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
For best results, use a full-fat soft cheese or cream cheese, drained of any liquid. Ensure the butter is very soft when you make the filling. Overbeating tends to make cream cheese icing runnier.
You don't have to use a piping bag to fill the biscuits, but it will be much neater!
