formats

Lindsey’s Signature Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies

on
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Click book to visit Amazon

MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF, the second book in the Beacon Bakeshop Mysteries by Darci Hannah, is another stellar addition to a yummy series! From the scrumptious and inviting cover, to the heart-felt and tender dedication and acknowledgements, to the enchanting Christmas theme, to the delectable Christmas cookie bake-off event, I didn’t want to put the book down until I’d read the very last word. Infused with the spirit of Christmas and a hint of a lighthouse ghost resident, Ms. Hannah brings the magical holiday season to life. With a strong descriptive voice, the reader will feel like they are experiencing the town festivities and the cookie bake-off right alongside protagonist, Lindsey Bakewell, owner of the Beacon Bakeshop in Beacon Harbor, Michigan. With humor sprinkled throughout, Lindsey and her comedic sidekick, Kennedy, provide entertaining repartee which made me feel like I’d like to be a part of their circle of friends. Other supporting characters are just as well-developed and I like that relationships are progressing and changing with each book.

Despite Christmas cheer taking over the town, someone is intent on playing Scrooge and ruining the festivities for everyone. Could it be the egotistical celebrity chef brought into town to judge the cookie competition? Or could one of the contestants be behind the theft of Lindsey’s signature cookies? When a judge is found dead, beneath mistletoe and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s cookies, fingers point at Lindsey being the culprit. I greatly enjoyed that Lindsey isn’t a lone ranger in trying to solve the murder. Assisting Lindsey is her ex-special forces boyfriend, Rory, her best friend, Kennedy, her parents, and a mysterious elderly woman who swept into town to help Lindsey and her bakeshop. Clues were sprinkled around like cookie crumbs and there were several viable suspects to keep the reader guessing. Twists and turns kept me on my toes yet it was still a surprise at the final reveal. With a heartwarming ending, I’ll be savoring this story throughout the holiday season.

With a Cookie Bake-Off mentioned in the title you can be sure that there are cookies galore mentioned throughout the book. And trust me, there are so many swoon-worthy cookies! Many thanks to Ms. Hannah for indulging the reader by including several Christmas cookie recipes at the back of the book, including one no-bake cookie. With so many choices it was hard to decide on trying just one cookie recipe, but, in the end, I decided on Lindsey’s Signature Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies first. While sandwich cookies are more work than typical cookies, the ending result is pure perfection! A bit crunchy on the edges and soft (and sweet) on the inside, these cookies have a pleasing texture. The unique combination of lemon and ginger is heavenly and a refreshing change from chocolate and heavily spiced Christmas cookies. And while the recipe says the cookies will last one month in the refrigerator, these were so delicious they barely lasted three days in my household. These will become a go-to cookie for special occasions for certain!

 

Chockful of flavor, these Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies are a bit crunchy on the edges and soft and sweet on the insides. Perfection in each bite! Recipe shared with permission granted by Darci Hannah, author of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF.

 

Amazon Synopsis

Tucked away inside an old lighthouse in Beacon Harbor, Michigan, bakeshop café owner Lindsey Bakewellis ready to make her first Christmas in town shine bright. But her merry plans crumble fast when murder appears under the mistletoe . . .

With the spirit of the holidays wafting through the Beacon Bakeshop, Lindsey thinks she has the recipe for the sweetest Christmas ever—winning the town-wide cookie bake-off. Unfortunately, striving for a picture-perfect December in Beacon Harbor is a lot like biting into stale shortbread. Low on staff and bombarded by visits from family, Lindsey can barely meet demands at work, let alone summon the confidence to face fierce competition . . .

Self-appointed Christmas know-it-all Felicity Stewart is determined to take the top spot in the bake‑off, and she’s not afraid to dump a little coal in everyone’s stocking to do it. Just as the competition heats up, everything falls apart when the judge is found dead—and covered in crumbs from Lindsey’s signature cookie!

Solving a murder was never on Lindsey’s wish list. But with her reputation on the line during the happiest time of the year, she’ll need to bring her best talents to the table in order to sift out the true Christmas Cookie culprit.

 

 

 

 

 

A special thanks to Darci Hannah for providing one lucky winner with a print copy of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents. Contest ends Sunday, October 10, 2021 at 11:59 pm PST. Please use the Rafflecopter box located below to enter. The winner will be announced on this page and on Cinnamon & Sugar’s Facebook page, as well as notified by email (so check your spam folder!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chockful of flavor, these Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies are a bit crunchy on the edges and soft and sweet on the insides. Perfection in each bite! Recipe shared with permission granted by Darci Hannah, author of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF.

 

Print
Lindsey's Signature Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies

Makes 40 1-1/2-inch sandwich cookies

Ingredients
For the dough:
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold, unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest (from fresh lemon)
  • 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream
For the filling:
  • 1-1/4 cup powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the dough:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F), place rack in the middle position. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

  2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine sugar, butter, molasses, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, then increase the speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes, until butter mixture is soft and light.

  3. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cream. Mix until a nice dough is formed.

  4. Using a teaspoon, scoop rounded portions, dividing dough roughly into 40 equal portions. Cut each portion in half and roll between your hands until smooth. The dough balls will look tiny, but they will spread as they bake.

  5. Arrange on parchment-lined baking sheets, leaving 1-1/2 inch spaces between each.

  6. Bake until cookies are golden brown and firm around the edges, about 7 - 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

For the filling:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, butter, lemon juice, lemon extract, and salt. Beat until soft and fluffy, about 5 minutes. If frosting is too soft, add additional powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency is reached.

  2. Transfer filling to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch pastry tip. (If you don't have a pastry bag, you can use a gallon-sized zip-lock bag and cut one of the bottom corners off, enough to make a 1/2-inch hole.)

  3. Since the cookies will be slightly different sizes, match them up in pairs as best as you can. Flip one of the cookies over, pipe a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center, and sandwich with the matching cookie.

  4. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a month.

 

Chockful of flavor, these Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies are a bit crunchy on the edges and soft and sweet on the insides. Perfection in each bite! Recipe shared with permission granted by Darci Hannah, author of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pin to Pinterest:

Chockful of flavor, these Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies are a bit crunchy on the edges and soft and sweet on the insides. Perfection in each bite! Recipe shared with permission granted by Darci Hannah, author of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was provided with an advance copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

 

Chockful of flavor, these Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies are a bit crunchy on the edges and soft and sweet on the insides. Perfection in each bite! Recipe shared with permission granted by Darci Hannah, author of MURDER AT THE CHRISTMAS COOKIE BAKE-OFF.

 

 

facebookShare on Facebook
TwitterTweet
FollowFollow us
PinterestSave

61 thoughts on “Lindsey’s Signature Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies”

  2. My Christmas cookie would be Gingerbread. I have no luck with cut out cookies, so I make the dough into a ball and bake after rolling in decorator sugar. They still taste yummy though.

  6. We love making Sugar cookies and Pumpkin Chocolate Chip cookies. I also love to make Cathedral Window Fudge every year as well. The book and cookies look wonderful!

  9. Love my Granny’s Old Fashion Tea Cake Cookies! Even though we have them through the year, at Christmas time they are a must made with colored sugar topping.

  10. My favorite Christmas cookie that my mom and me make every year are my grandmas sandtart cookies.

  11. I like my mom’s old peanut butter cookie recipe. She put a Brach’s chocolate star on top of them instead of a Kiss.

  12. Christmas to me means Sugar Cookie cutouts that have been decorated. Sometimes I like to put a small hole in them so they can
    be hung on a Christmas tree. In most cases this doesn’t happen since my family eat them as fast as they are done.

  13. My favorite Christmas cookie is pfeffernusse. I’ve never made it before, but I found a recipe and may just try it this year. Thanks for the yummy recipe and the giveaway!

  20. It’s not cookies, but my Mom always makes a batch of fudge for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We usually make no bake cookies though. But since my mom does not like peanut butter she makes hers with no peanut butter. It has chopped pecans in it.
    Thanks for having the giveaway!

  22. When my kids were little I always baked a variety of cookies at Christmas. Now i just make frosted sugar cookies.

  24. The old fashioned Betty Crocker Candy Cane Cookies! They are my absolute favorite! I grew up making them with my mother. I remember every Christmas she would let me crush the candy cane candy and then let me sprinkle it on the cookies as soon as they came out of the oven! I imagined I was sprinkling fairy dust on the cookies. And I LOVED the scent of almond extract in the air as the cookies baked. Such wonderful, fond memories.

  26. why do you consider these more work than typical cookies? It’s mix, shape, bake, cool, and ice.

  27. Hubby and I make a spritz cookie that my grandma and I used to make. She was from Mankato Minn and this recipe the family made and she loved them. Well needless to say when the first batch of them were out I also loved them and ate almost the entire first batch. Last year hubby and i made them didn’t try them and after we had given several batches tried them and found out we forgot the almond extract oh goodness they tasted like nothing and we were so embarrassed.

  30. My favorite Christmas cookie is a Spicy Mexican Hot Chocolate cookie! I can take them to Christmas cookie exchanges and never worry about there being a duplicate — and everyone loves them! (My backup is a soft ginger snap cookie which is also always a favorite!)

  35. I am going to try making this delicious recipe in lieu of giingersnaps.It sounds wonder and makes want to read the book.I also want a cookie!I always make chocolate-mint cookies. You make chocolate wafer dough and when warm put a chocolate covered mint between two cookies.

  36. There is not a Christmas cookie that I bake every year, but my dad makes some delicious thin, crispy ginger snaps! (And these lemon ginger sandwich cookies look like I need to try them, too!!)

  39. I don’t celebrate Christmas, I am Jewish! I do enjoy reading about it. I usually make sugar cookies on Chanukah. Would love to read this book, I really enjoyed the first book!

  40. I can’t remember the last time I made cookies. My mother always make spice cookies with a sugared top around the holidays.

  43. I tried a recipe for a cookies and cream flavored one a few years back and loved it so much so I now include them in my Christmas cookie platter every year.

  52. My favorite Christmas cookie is “Russian Tea Cookies” or Snowballs. My grandma made them when I was little, and I remember eating so many of them.

  57. I love Root Beer cookies all year long, but during December I think my mom’s Meltaways are the best. This book sounds so good, I can’t wait to dive in!

  59. I have to make, cut out bake and decorate Christmas Cookies every year! It’s a tradition and we also just love them and if we don’t watch ourselves we’ll be eating them like potato chips!! Love the sound of this book and the yummy cookie recipe. Thank you!

  60. Our holiday baked treats are called Sufganiot. Basically donuts without the hole with a cream filling. Fried food are a big deal for Chanukah. I love reading and collecting cozies that concentrate on food. Especially if they come with recipes for us to try out.

Comments are closed.

Facebook
YouTube
YouTube
Pinterest
Pinterest
fb-share-icon
Instagram