White Chocolate Gingerbread Sandwiches With Egg Nog Frosting

Maybe it’s Pinterest’s fault, but the other day, I had an insuppressible urge for gingerbread. Since I had some movies to return to the library anyway, Ellie and I jumped into the car and went out to drop off the movies and pick up some molasses. Something made me throw a bar of Ghirardelli’s white chocolate into the cart too. For some reason, I thought white chocolate would go well with gingerbread. Maybe the sweet would compliment the spicy? Anyway, when I got home, and finally got the kids to bed, I made the dough, even though I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with it yet. Then Bryan got the urge for some egg nog and went out to 7-11 (we both have a tough time controlling our impulses, don’t we?). And I knew exactly what I wanted to do with my gingerbread dough.

White Chocolate Gingerbread (adapted from this recipe from Foodnetwork.com)

• 1 stick of butter (softened)
• 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
• 1/2 packed cup light brown sugar
• 2/3 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 egg
• 3 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 bar good quality white chocolate- finely chopped

1. Cream together butter and shortening, add brown sugar and beat until creamy (about 2 minutes)
2. Add molasses and egg, and beat until combined
3. Whisk dry ingredients together in a separate bowl, then add to butter mixture, 1/2-1 cup at a time
4. Fold in the white chocolate
5. Divide dough in half, and wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 350. Roll out dough to 3/8 inch using a bit of the dough at a time. Dough will be very sticky, so dust work surface, rolling pin, and even your hands with flour.
7. Cut out circles or desired shape with a sturdy cutter (if the cutter is not sturdy, it could bend if you hit a chilled chunk of chocolate)
8. Bake for 9-11 minutes (depending on size of cookie)
9. Cool completely. Fill with egg nog buttercream by spreading a bit onto one cookie and topping with another.

Egg Nog Frosting (Adapted from this recipe- my favorite buttercream from Amanda at i am baker)

• 1 lb powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg (or more to taste)
• pinch of salt
• 1/4c Egg Nog

1. Beat the shortening until smooth.
2. Slowly add the sugar, adding the vanilla and egg nog as needed (I added some sugar, then some egg nog, then alternated until the frosting was smooth)
3. Add vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Add salt and nutmeg then beat until combined.

Once the cookies and frosting are combined into sandwiches, let them sit a little. I found that that let the flavors mellow together a little and by the time Bryan got home from work, he was begging me to make another batch.

Enjoy!!!!