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For the holidays, a simple cookie just won’t do. Thank goodness home cook Cindy Sandberg put a fanciful spin on her classic ginger cookies!

Chewy and spicy and spiked with molasses, the cookies are filled with sweet and tangy mascarpone cream and bedazzled with sparkling sugar crystals. Let the celebrations begin!

See step-by-step photos of Cindy’s recipe plus thousands more from home cooks around the country at: http://www.justapinch.com/gingercookie

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“The cream filling in [these cookies] is not too sweet and the crystallized ginger is the perfect special touch!”

Cindy Sandberg

Carlisle, IN

(pop. 692)

Ginger Cream Molasses Cookies

What You Need

3/4 c butter

3/4 c packed brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 c molasses

2 1/2 c all purpose flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

turbinado (or regular granulated) sugar for rolling

1 c mascarpone cheese

1 c whipping cream

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c powdered sugar

2-3 tbsp finely chopped crystalized ginger (to taste)

Directions

• Cream butter and sugar. Beat in egg and molasses.

• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices. Add to butter mixture and mix well. Chill 1 hour.

• Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a baking tray. Roll pieces of dough into small balls (about 3/4in). Roll balls in sugar and place on trays about 2 in. apart. Bake for 8-12 minutes, ‘til set but still soft. Do not overbake.

• Remove from oven and cool on racks. While cookies are cooling, make cream filling: Beat together cheese, cream, sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form (do not overbeat!). Gently fold in crystalized ginger.

• When cookies are cool, spread bottom of one cookie with 1-2 tsp of filling and top with another cookie. Gently press together. Store in refrigerator.

Submitted by: Cindy Sandberg, Carlisle, IN (pop. 692)

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