Chocolate Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies (vegan)
These chocolate gingerbread sandwich cookies put a spin on classic gingerbread, combining it with a rich, creamy chocolate ganache filling.
Servings 18 sandwich cookies
Ingredients
Gingerbread:
- 150 g (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons) vegan block butter
- 120 g (⅔ cup) light brown soft sugar
- 75 g (3 ½ Tablespoons) golden syrup (or light molasses)
- 75 g (3 ½ Tablespoons) black treacle or molasses
- 15 g (1 Tablespoon) non dairy milk
- 3 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- 3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 380 g (3 cups + 2 Tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
Ganache:
- 120 g (⅔ cup) dark (semi-sweet) baking chocolate or couverture callets finely chopped
- 100 g (7 Tablespoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
- 20 g (4 teaspoons) vegan block butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
- icing (powdered) sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Place the butter, sugar, golden syrup, treacle and milk in a medium saucepan over a low heat and stir until just melted, do not let it get too hot. Remove from the heat.150 g (½ cup + 2 Tablespoons) vegan block butter, 120 g (⅔ cup) light brown soft sugar, 75 g (3 ½ Tablespoons) golden syrup, 75 g (3 ½ Tablespoons) black treacle or molasses, 15 g (1 Tablespoon) non dairy milk
- Add the ginger, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt and whisk until smooth.3 ½ teaspoons ground ginger, 3 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground allspice, ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined and no dry patches of flour remain. Wrap the dough in baking paper or clingfilm and refrigerate for at least a couple of hours until it is firm enough to roll out.380 g (3 cups + 2 Tablespoons) plain (all-purpose) flour
- Roll the dough out either on a floured surface or between two sheets of baking parchment to 5-6mm (¼ in) thick. If the dough has become too firm to roll, let it sit out at room temperature for 20 minutes first. The dough may become sticky as you roll so dust with flour if needed. Alternatively if it is too cold it may crack, if this happens let it sit for a few minutes to warm up.
- Use a 6-7cm (2 ½ in) round cookie cutter to cut out as many rounds as possible. Use a small cutter to cut out a hole from the centre of half of the rounds. Bring the scraps together and re-roll to cut out more biscuits.
- Arrange the rounds spaced apart on 2-3 lined baking sheets. Place them in the fridge to chill for 20 minutes while you preheat the oven to 180°C/160℃ fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
- Bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes, depending on whether you want them very soft or slightly crunchy. They should be set around the edges but still soft in the middle.
- Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes then carefully transfer them to a wire cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
- To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate or callets in a heatproof bowl. Heat the milk and butter together until almost but not quite simmering, do not let it come to the boil.120 g (⅔ cup) dark (semi-sweet) baking chocolate or couverture callets, 100 g (7 Tablespoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy), 20 g (4 teaspoons) vegan block butter
- Pour the milk mixture over the chocolate and leave it to sit for 5 minutes then stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla and cinnamon. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Dust the cookies that have a hole in with icing sugar.icing (powdered) sugar
- Spoon a generous teaspoon of ganache on the underside of each whole cookie, spreading it out slightly but not all the way to the edge. Carefully top each with a cut out cookie and press down gently.
- Allow to set before serving. Store in a covered container in the fridge.
Notes
- See post above for tips, details, storage instructions and step-by-step photos.
- As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!
- If the ganache becomes too thick before you have finished filling the cookies, place the bowl over a pan of steaming hot water and stir until it has melted again. Do not let the base of the bowl touch the water, you don't want to let it get too hot or it may split.