Hello! Welcome to one of the funnest posts of the year here on RGD, The Christmas Cookie Exchange Tour! Christmas baking is a well loved tradition shared by people from all over the world. Recipes have a way of drawing people together. Food is the way to the heart much more than the stomach! Every family has recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation, making them sacred family traditions. Recipes I have received from friends and loved ones are some of my most prized possessions.
Every Christmas I host a Cookie Exchange at my house with my friends. Some like to bake, others just come and socialize. It is such a fun and simple party to throw. If you have never hosted one and would like to, you can read my post about how to host a cookie exchange here.
Last year, I started a Bloggers Cookie Exchange. I have invited some of my blogging friends, who like to bake, to join in a virtual cookie exchange. Today, we are each share a favorite cookie recipe styled in our homes.
If you are stopping by from Annie at Zevy Joy, welcome! Annie has the most charming home and always shares the most beautiful, inspiring photos.
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This year I am sharing one of my kids favorite Christmas cookie, Gingerbread Cookies with Citrus Frosting. I love this recipe because you don’t have to refrigerator the dough! The cookies are simple to make and with the citrus buttercream frosting, your mouth will love you forever! This is a fun recipe to make with kids. They love to help roll out the dough and cut out the shapes. This recipe is adapted from one of my favorite cookbooks, Butter Celebrates by Rosie Daykin. You can get your copy here.
These cookies are delicious unfrosted, decorated, or sandwiched together with more frosting in the middle! Serve them with a nice cold glass of milk! Our family loves them with egg nog.
Use them for your Santa cookies! Santa will love you for it! You can see our full Christmas Home Tour here.
Here is the recipe for you! Try making it with your family this year. The citrus frosting mixed with the ginger is heaven!!!!
Gingerbread Cookie Sandwiches with Citrus Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup butter - room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 3 3/4 cups all - purpose flour
- Frosting
- 1 cup butter - room temperature
- 3 T orange zest
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar
- 3 T fresh lemon juice
- 3 T fresh orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a double boiler over medium heat, or a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, combine and stir the molasses, both sugars, cinnamon and ginger. When the sugars have melted, add the baking soda and stir. When the mixture bubbles up, remove the pot from the heat and set aside.
- Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitter with a paddle attachment. Slowly pour the warm molasses mixture ovule the butter. With the machine running on medium speed, mix until the butter has completely melted and the mixture has cooled slightly.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the flour until it is fully combined.
- Lift the dough from the bowl and place it on a well - floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
- Use your gingerbread man cookie cutter to cut out about eighteen large cookies. If you use a smaller cutter, you will have more cookies. Carefully transfer the cookies to the prepared trays and place them about 1/2 inch apart. You will need to combine the scraps and reroll the dough several times to use it all up.
- Bake for approximately 10 minutes, or until the cookies are still slightly soft to the touch in the center.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
- To make the frosting:
- Beat the butter, orange zest, and lemon zest at medium speed with an electric mixer for 1 -2 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar with lemon juice and fresh orange juice. Beat at low speed to sugar doesn't fly everywhere. Add orange juice 1 T at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Fill a frosting bag with frosting using a small round tip and decorate the cookies. You can decorate them to be single cookies, or sandwich them together with frosting in the middle for more fun! These are fabulous without frosting too!
Next head over to my girl Kelley at Kelley Nan for another amazing Christmas cookie!
See more of our home decorated for Christmas by clicking on the photos below…
Christmas Home Tour 2017
Winter Wonderland Bedroom Tour
How to Decorate your Tree Like a Pro
Christmas Home Tour 2016
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I love Gingerbread Cookies – they bring back so many great memories for me and my siblings! But I’ve never had them with a citrus frosting!!! I already know this will be amazing, can’t wait to make them myself. Thanks for including me in this fun tour… it’s been a lot of fun! xo
Thank you Tana! They are super fun to make! Thanks for joining us! xoxo
Randi how beautiful and gorgeous!! I love gingerbread anything and these look so delicious/fluffy! So sweet to see you enjoy baking with your little guy in that stunning home of yours! I absolutely love touring with you, thank you so much! xo
Thank you so much Annie! You are the sweetest! Wishing you a Merry Christmas! xoxo
Gingerbread Cookies are already so delicious, but I can’t wait to try them with your Citrus Buttercream Frosting! Perfect recipe idea and I love seeing your beautiful home filled with holiday decor and treats! Love you my dear friend!
IN your directions for the gingerbread cookies you say combine BOTH SUGARS….however in the ingredients you only list brown sugar…..help please!!
Oh no! I forgot to add the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar! I’ll fix it now! SORRY!!!!!