Servings 60sandwich cookies (two 2-inch cut-outs each)
Ingredients
Gingerbread Dough
2Tablespoonsunsalted butter(room temperature)
½cuplight brown sugar(packed)
½cupwhite granulated sugar
1egg(large, beaten)
½cupmolasses
⅓cupunsweetened apple sauce
½teaspoonvanilla extract
3 ⅞cupsall-purpose flour
½teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonbaking soda
¼teaspoonbaking powder
1 ½teaspoonsground cinnamon
1 ½teaspoonsground ginger
½teaspoonground allspice
¼teaspoonground nutmeg
Flour Spice Mixture (for rolling)
¼cupall-purpose flour
¼teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground allspice
Lemon Marshmallow Filling
2envelopesGelatine(e.g., ½ oz / 14 g Knox Gelatine)
⅔cupwater(divided into 2 x ⅓ cup)
1cupwhite granulated sugar
⅔cuplight corn syrup
⅛teaspoonsalt
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1 ½teaspoonslemon extract
yellow food coloring(optional)
Instructions
Gingerbread Dough
In a large mixing bowl, whip the butter till it’s pale and fluffy.
Add the brown sugar and white sugar and beat 1-2 minutes until smooth.
Add the egg and beat another 1-2 minutes.
Add the molasses, applesauce, and vanilla extract and mix thoroughly.
In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients: 3 cups of the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg.
(If using an electric stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment) Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the cream mixture on the lowest mixer speed until combined. The dough will be sticky, so add in the remaining ⅞ cup flour and stir until blended.
Divide the dough into two parts and wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (even overnight, if desired).
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, prepare the flour spice mixture (for rolling). Mix together the ¼ cup flour, ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of allspice. Sprinkle this mixture onto your rolling surface to prevent the cookie dough from sticking.
Roll out the dough to 3/16 inch thick. Use a 2-inch star shaped pie plunger (or other symmetricsl shape) to cut out shapes and plunge a design into the cookie. Place them on a cookie tray lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper, leaving ½ inch between cookies. The cookies will not expand much during baking.
Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes until the edges begin to set. Immediately move them to a wire baking rack and allow them to cool.
Lemon Marshmallow Filling
In a large mixing bowl of an electric stand mixer, combine the Gelatine with ⅓ cup of cold water and stir slightly till roughly combined. Let it sit to bloom. Connect the whisk attachment to the stand mixer for later.
Meanwhile, in a 2 quart sauce pan, mix the remaining ⅓ cup of cold water, white sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place the pan over medium-high heat, cover it, and allow it to cook for 4 minutes.
Remove the lid and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and allow the syrup mixture to continue cooking until it reaches 240°F. This will take another 15-30 minutes. Immediately remove the pan from the heat when the temperature reaches 240°F.
Turn the stand mixer to low speed and slowly (and carefully — the syrup is extremely hot!) begin pouring the syrup mixture from the pan so that it runs down the side of the mixing bowl and into the gelatin mixture. You can use a rubber spatula to direct the liquid flow (see picture).
Once all the syrup is added, gradually (so that it doesn’t splash) increase the mixer speed to high and whip for 12-14 minutes. Carefully feel the outside of the bowl to check that the temperature is lukewarm. The mixture will become a very thick marshmallow cream.
Add the vanilla extract, the lemon extract, and (optional) yellow food coloring and whip for 1 more minute.
While it’s still warm, transfer the marshmallow to a piping bag with a medium round tip (Wilton #6).
Pipe the marshmallow filling onto the back of one gingerbread cutout, then sandwich it together with another, ensuring the gingerbread pieces are aligned for symmetry. Don’t make the filling so thick that the marshmallow will spill out the sides when sandwiched, as this will make stacking and storage more difficult. The assembly process goes much faster with one person piping and another person sandwiching the gingerbread together.
Allow the marshmallow filling to set, about 4 hours, before stacking the cookies.