Jong and I hosted an intimate holiday cookie exchange at the house in early December with a few friends. I decided to make this as my contribution because I love the taste of LOTS of ginger and wanted to bring something sparkly. This cookie is delicious sandwiched into a whoopie pie or just on it's own, warmed slightly and served with tea. This is a soft chewy cookie but you could bake it longer, and allow to cool on the cookie sheet if you prefer a crisp cookie.

Double Ginger and Cream Cheese Whoopie Pies

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 inches of fresh ginger grated finely
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 cup molasses
2 tablespoons white sugar crystals, or refined white sugar.

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift together the flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
On the electric mixer, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, cream together the butter and 1 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg, then stir in the orange juice and molasses.
Gradually stir the sifted ingredients into the molasses mixture.
Shape dough into balls, and roll them in white sugar crystals. Place the cookies 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Leave in a ball if you want the whoopie pie shape. Flatten slightly with a spoon to get a true "cookie shape".
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool in an airtight container.

FILLING:

Cream 1 cup of softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons of icing sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Pipe onto the back of one cookie (the side that touches the cookie sheet) and then press another cookie together to form a sandwich.