Molasses Cookies with Ginger Cream Cheese Filling

You don't become a baker without developing a few bad habits along the way. Perhaps my most noticeable habit is that I forget to wear an apron. This wouldn't be a problem with most people. Sadly, the same cannot be said for me. When I worked in a bakery, the first business in the morning was to put on my trusty apron. It was more than just a flour barrier between my clothes and me; I relied on it to take the brunt of my clumsiness in the kitchen (graceful, I am not) and often used it as a towel to wipe my hands when a customer came calling. By the end of the day, the apron was hardly recognizable.

Even though I am a home-baker now, with a closet full of adorable aprons, I don't remember I have them until my pants resemble a powdered sugar nightmare. It's a work in progress.

I'm a little ashamed to admit bad habit #2. I don't own a kitchen timer. When I worked in the bakery, it was standard procedure to never set a timer for any baked goods. At first this seemed odd to me, but the ovens were passed so frequently to reach the kitchen sink and food was so strongly on the mind that the entire time I worked there, we only burned a handful of items. I like to think I've developed a "baker's intuition" in my own kitchen, justifying the fact that I never remember to check the time when I put something in the oven. The truth is that sometimes I have excellent intuition and, well, sometimes I do not.

I have gotten quite well at slightly over-baking a little bit of everything. Can we keep this our little secret, though?

Perhaps most shameful of all is that I am lousy when it comes to doing the dishes after wreaking havoc in the kitchen. My boyfriend could write you a novel revealing the horrors of kitchen aftermath. Always full of excuses, I complain to anyone within listening distance that after baking and photographing (and eating) whatever I've made, I'm much too tired to wash the bowls in the sink. No amount of sad eyes and pouting will convince them to clean up after me (I've tried). This continues to be a battle for me, but I am getting better at it. Slowly.

What are your bad kitchen habits?

Molasses Cookies with Ginger Cream Cheese Filling are spiced with everything nice. The cookies bake up soft and cake-like, with a strong molasses flavor and a touch of cinnamon. The cookies are sandwiched together with a cream cheese frosting spiced with ground ginger. Whether you think of these cookie sandwiches as whoopie pies or not, one thing is for certain—it's hard to stop at one. I like to twist open the sandwiches and eat the halves one at a time just to make them last a little longer.

One Year Ago: Caramel Apple Cider
Two Years Ago: Homemade Apple Cider and Fresh Ginger Cake with Caramelized Pears

Molasses Cookies with Ginger Cream Cheese Filling

Yields 12 cookie sandwiches

Molasses Cookies
1/2 cup (100 grams) brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons (60 grams) butter
2 large eggs
1/3 cup (80 ml) molasses
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs one at a time, mixing between each addition. Mix in the molasses, spices, and salt until uniform. Gradually add in the baking powder, baking soda, and flour, mixing until just incorporated. The dough will be thick.

Drop cookies by the tablespoon onto a baking sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cookies begin to take on a little color. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Ginger Cream Cheese Filling
2 ounces (60 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
3 tablespoons (45 grams) butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups (190 grams) powdered sugar

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the ginger and salt. Gradually add in the powdered sugar, beating until the frosting becomes smooth and thick.

Spread frosting on the bottom half of a cooled cookie and press the top half on top. Repeat for all cookies.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Best eaten within 1-2 days.

Comments

[Heather @ Bake, Run, Live]

I am the same way with dishes! My boyfriend tells me that he can't figure out how I can dirty every piece of silverware we own, and every pot and pan! I smile and tell him that it's a gift!! I am still waiting for the dish-washing fairies to arrive at my house!

[Averie @ Averie Cooks]

I love cookies, that's my bad habit :) And I ADORE molasses. And yours are stunning!

I dont wear an apron nor do I set a timer or own one, either! *Usually* this works out for me, but sometimes, ahem, it doesnt.

[Kathryn]

I'm another who doesn't wear an apron & who manages to make a complete and utter mess of the kitchen but I can't live without my kitchen timer. I'm so bad at wandering off and forgetting that something's in the oven or on the stove until it's too late...

Love the combination of flavours in these cookies, especially that ginger cream cheese filling.

[Katie]

People are always giving me cute aprons - my grandmother even made me one with pockets and ruffles and everything - and I never think to put them on. I should really start. As for the timing... I totally believe that you could be baking perfectly without one! The more I cook/bake, the more I find that I can smell when something begins to change form in the oven or on the stove...

[Valeria]

Uh, I actually think I share exactly the same habits. I own an apron I never use. I don't really keep track of the cooking time --for cakes, I use the toothpick, for cookies, well, I tend to over-bake them, too. And I don't do the dishwashing afterwards, which is bad cause we don't own a dishwasher and have only a small sink (constantly full), and the dough always get super-srusty in the mixing bowls, as hard as stone, and then it takes twice the effort to remove it. Another bad habit: never wearing an appropriate heath-proof mitten or oven glove, resulting in multiple burns etc. I don't even start mentioning when I boil legumes and they foam over into the burner...

These cookies! I could just have them without the filling, so good! Pinned, and on the must-do list for the next weekend.

[Angie@Angiesrecipes]

Your molasses cookies look to die for! I must bake some for the holidays!

[thelittleloaf]

I never wear an apron either, much to the distress of a lot of my clothes :-) I also somehow manage to cover the floor in water every time I wash up - my boyfriend says I'm like a baby elephant splashing around. Oops!

[Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen]

My bad kitchen habit is not mopping the floor. Almost never. I guess that's more a lack of a habit, but it's still bad.

These look incredible!

[Deepshikha]

Haha, I have the same habits! Things get especially nightmarish for my pants if I bake anything chocolate-y. As for timers, I always think i'll remember that I have something in the oven, but that only leads to me pushing glasses of milk at my family when they decide to eat a cake I baked, or repeatedly saying "I love crunchy, crisp cookies!", every time someone decides to pick up one of my cookies. As for the dish washing...my family begs me to just leave the poor dishes alone at this point haha :)
Your molasses cookies look so perfect and delicious! So holiday perfect :)

[Liz]

I hate clean-up too but my husband likes a clean kitchen so he's always willing to clean up after me! I love the combination in these cookies. Adding to my must-make list!

[Fatema]

I am reading this on a grey Nov afternoon looking out at half bare tree's wishing I could just inhale these:-) I am guilty of the the first 2 bad habit's but when it comes to the third I do hate cleaning up the kitchen but I hate a messy kitchen even more;-) so I tend to clean the kitchen while the good's are baking so that I don't have to deal with the kitchen after.

[Liz]

As much as I hate doing dishes, I have to say that my worst cooking habit is letting things be. If something has to stay in a pan and not be touched, goodness help me, because I will continually check, stir, bother it. I can't just let it be! I'm pretty sure it's why me and caramel have never gotten along.

As always, gorgeous photos!

[Migle]

Same here: no apron, no timer! Just the dishes are not that very burdensome for me :)

[Erin @ Texanerin Baking]

I love my kitchen timer but the other two are so me. Especially with the dishes! After baking and taking pictures, I'm dead. There is no possible way I can do the dishes after such work. After baking, cleaning up takes at least an hour. I'm not into that. So I always nap and then wake up and they're still there. My poor husband... he has a real problem with my sloppiness. Stuff doesn't get done until days later... :(

And these cookies look AMAZING! I love molasses cookies and ginger cream cheese frosting can only improve things, so it sounds perfect.

[Becca - Cookie Jar Treats]

I too do not wear an apron. I probably should since I'm always wiping flour and powdered sugar on my pants and shirt, but I just find it too much of a hassle to remember to put one on :P

But I think that's kind of the extent to my bad habits in the kitchen. I'm too OCD to not put on the timer and I usually put things away once I'm done adding them to the bowl or mixer. And then I always wash things once the batter or dough has been distributed. Like I said, I'm too OCD... maybe that counts as a bad habit?

Beautiful sandwich cookies by the way. I would love it if someone invented the television like in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory... only for computers. That would be nice :)

[Kathy]

Guilty of all of those habits! By the time I'm done in the kitchen, there is flour everywhere, a pile of dishes in the sink, and usually over-baked cookies...Which is most unfortunate... I also can't let things sit. If something needs to be in the fridge for an hour, I tend to poke at it to see if it's firm and when it starts to firm up I always wonder, "can I use this yet? This is okay, right? The instructions say to let the dough firm up, this is firm!" then I poke at it some more and decide to leave it for just a bit longer.. It drives my family mad!

These look absolutely delicious, and I am definitely going to have to try these out sometime soon... perhaps even using a timer so they come out just right!.. We'll see..

[Lucy Hill]

Cool! Looks like a munckin burger.. ;)

[Jen L | Tartine and Apron Strings]

Hi, Kristin! I just found your blog from Huffington Post's Top 10 Food Bloggers Oct 2012. I love your site and have it already bookmarked after the first photo! Love the mood and style of your photographs, but most of all, I adore your sweet creations! I'll be returning here for more goodies! Yes, definitely!

[J'Marinde Shephard]

I get those with the dishes "issues." Before I start baking, I fill my sink with hot soapy water and sometimes that helps. Sometimes - - if it's not already full with other dishes. ~\;- >
Thank you for this FUN & YUM site!

[Lizzie]

Whenever I bake I think their must be some terrible flour curse. I've never been fond of aprons so i always dismiss my mother's suggestions to wear one with "don't worry i'll just wash and dry my hands". Needless to say i immediately forget this and my pants are soon a floury mess. I always manage to get the flour off without washing them but when i wear them next i get the scents of all my other ingredients. Pants that smell like ginger and cinnamon sound amazing but eventually get irritating (this mainly stems from the sly smiles of my friends as they casually ask "so lizzie have you been baking?"). I love the look of these cookies but i don't have any molasses and i'm not sure where to get it in Australia. Would malt work or do you have any other suggestions?

[Kristin Rosenau]

Lizzie-- I've read that some of the larger supermarkets and health food stores do carry it. I'd call around to see if you can find it before you venture out of the house. If you simply can't seem to find it anywhere, you can always order it online. Since molasses has such a distinct flavor and syrupy texture, I wouldn't try substituting it with anything other than a dark treacle.

[Lesley]

If you substitute strawberry jam for the ginger cream, they become an old Newfoundland (Canada) favourite called 'Jam-Jams'. Simple name, simple biscuit, but utterly delicious. I'm going to try your recipe, it looks good. Your photography work is quite wonderful - your control of lighting makes absolutely beautiful compositions.

[Melissa]

Kristin, do you use an insulated baking sheet for these cookies?

[Dave]

LAdies, I don't wear an apron either! :) My wife does the cleanup, dishes and clothes. When I'm done, it's like a tornado went through!! She says I'm a good baker, and she does like most of what I bake. I love Molasses, so I'll add this to my Christmas coookie list

[Jessie Radakovich]

Hi!
I love molasses cookies and was so excited to try these. I put them by the spoonful like the recipe said and mine came out flat and very spread out. Help me please! Did you use a whoopie pie pan? I even wore my Nana's apron to. Try to channel her magical cooking skills!
Anything will help!
Thanks
Jessie

[Kristin Rosenau]

Jessie-- Did you add enough flour? There are two ways you can fix dough that spreads out too much. 1) Chill the dough before baking for at least an hour. This prevents the dough from spreading as much. 2) Add more flour to thicken up the dough. This will also prevent that problem. You can try one option or both!

[Rebecca]

Loooooove these! I have tried sooo many recipes without much flavor, I added vanilla and used bread flour, but they were just amazing and so fluffy! I made the frosting a titch different but together, so amazing! Thank you!