Toffee Shortbread Cookies – The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2013

This was my first year participating in The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap. I was so excited to share cookies with other bloggers while raising money for Cookies for Kids Cancer. I chose to bake toffee shortbread cookies for the cookie exchange. These cookies start with a standard shortbread cookie dough which has toffee bits mixed into it and scattered on top. The toffee adds the perfect crunchy, buttery compliment to the shortbread cookies.

As fun as it was to bake and ship cookies to fellow bloggers, it was just as fun to receive cookies from others. A huge thank you to:

-Alyson from Wine and Plum for Nutella and Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

-Kimberly from Bake Love Give for Peppermint Bark Spritz Cookies

-Amanda from The Coers Family for Andes Mint Swirl Cake Mix Cookies

Your cookies were all delicious and beautifully packaged. Thank you, ladies!

Toffee Shortbread Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

3 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup toffee bits, I used Heath’s Bits O’Brickle
additional 3/4 cup toffee bits for topping the cookies, optional
powdered sugar or flour, for rolling

Preheat oven to 350.

Beat butter and sugar for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and almond extracts.

In a separate bowl, combine flour and salt. Add flour to butter mixture, beating on low, until the dough comes together (it might be a little crumbly). Add 2/3 cup toffee bits and stir in by hand until evenly distributed.

Dump the dough onto a large piece of plastic wrap and press the dough into a disk. Tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.

Lightly sprinkle a flat surface with powdered sugar or flour and roll out the dough until 1/2 inch thick. Using the cookie cutter of your choice, cut the dough into desired shapes and place on a baking sheet, leaving a couple inches between the cookies for spreading.

Bake for 12-14 minutes, until the edges are light brown. If you’d like to sprinkle additional toffee bits on top of the cookies, pull the baking sheets out a couple minutes shy of being done and sprinkle about a teaspoon of toffee bits on top of each cookie. Return to the oven for several more minutes. This will allow the toffee bits on top of the cookies to melt just sightly but still retain a crunchy texture.

Cool the cookies completely on the baking sheets.

Shortbread adapted from Ina Garten

Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake

Now that we’ve recovered from Thanksgiving, it’s time to start planning for the month ahead. Sometime soon, you’ll probably be hosting company or going to a party or having a holiday get-together. I’d like to suggest a perfect holiday dessert for any of those occasions: Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake. I’ve been making this cake  for several years and every year it is just as good as I remember. This cake is so versatile, it can be served for dessert or breakfast and it keeps well for days. What I love the most about this cake is the flavor combination of fresh cranberries and vanilla. So often cranberries are paired with orange in baked goods, but this cake goes without any orange and is loaded with sweet, fragrant, fresh vanilla. It seems as though it would be easy for the bold flavor of fresh cranberries to overpower the delicate vanilla flavor, but it doesn’t. There is vanilla in every single layer of this cake and in every single bite. I love slicing this cake to reveal the bright red, fresh cranberry layer that is sandwiched between two soft layers of vanilla cake. This cake is a beauty and it’s equally delicious.

Cranberry Vanilla Coffee Cake
Makes one 9 inch cake

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups fresh cranberries
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon softened butter, divided
2 eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
Powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 9 inch cake pan and place a piece of parchment on the bottom. Butter the parchment also.

Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla bean and place the seeds in a food processor with the granulated sugar. Pulse several times until the vanilla bean specks are evenly distributed throughout the sugar. Pour the vanilla sugar into a bowl and set it aside.

Put the fresh cranberries in the food processor along with half a cup of the vanilla sugar. Pulse several times until the cranberries are coarsely chopped but not pureed.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat 1 stick of butter with 1 cup of vanilla sugar for several minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating until combined. Alternate adding in the flour mixture along with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Do not overmix, stop as soon as the ingredients are incorporated.

Pour approximately half the batter into the prepared cake pan (batter will be thick). Spoon all of the cranberries on top, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge. Top the cranberries with the remaining cake batter, being sure to cover the cranberries completely. Because this batter is so thick, I find it easiest to add the second layer of batter by dolloping spoonfuls on top of the cranberries and then smearing them together with my fingertips. It’s messy but it works! 😉

For the topping: combine the remaining 1/4 cup of vanilla sugar with 1 tablespoon of flour and 1 tablespoon of softened butter. Mix with your fingertips, until crumbly. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake.

Bake the cake for approximately 30-35 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out without cake batter on it. Cool the cake completely and then carefully turn it out onto a serving platter. Dust the top with powdered sugar if desired.

Recipe adapted from Epicurious

Light Banana Snack Cake

This cake doesn’t need much of an introduction – it’s  just a tasty and simple banana snack cake. It can be served for breakfast or dessert and a slice makes the perfect afternoon pick-me-up along with a cup of tea. Although this recipe is “light” it still tastes indulgent and it’s packed full of banana flavor. This cake comes together quickly and  it bakes up faster than a loaf of banana bread. I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light and, although they did not suggest frosting, I just couldn’t resist. The cream cheese frosting recipe will make a small batch that perfectly covers the top of the cake with a thin, not too indulgent layer of  sweet and creamy frosting. Feel free to double the frosting recipe if you want more or leave it off completely. I made this in an 8×8 pan, but you could also make it in an 8.5×11. The cake will just be a little thinner than mine is. 

Light Banana Snack Cake
Makes 9-12 servings

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 2 medium sized bananas)
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar

For the cake:

Preheat oven to 375. Butter or spray an 8×8 or 8.5×11 baking pan and set it aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk yogurt, mashed banana, milk, oil, egg and vanilla until combined.

Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If you’re using an 8×8 pan the baking time will be closer to 25 minutes. An 8.5×11 pan should be done closer to 20 minutes. Cool the cake completely before topping with frosting.

For the frosting:

Beat cream cheese and butter until combined. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Using a butter knife or an offset spatula, spread the frosting all over the top of the cooled cake.

Recipe adapted from Cooking Light

Maple Pecan Bars

At every family gathering for as long as I can remember the same scene has played out. Dinner is served, everyone eats and socializes and then dessert is served and everyone is still so full that they decline dessert or ask for the smallest, tiniest piece of whatever is being served. Now, have you ever tried to cut a teeny, tiny piece of pecan pie? It is nearly impossible. The squishy inside, crumbly crust and the nuts that all seem to fuse together and pull from the slices around them make this task difficult – especially if you want to hand someone a clean slice and not a pile of crumbs and nuts. Well, here is the perfect solution. Not only do these maple pecan bars taste even better than pecan pie, but, they cut easily, they travel well and they are easy to make (no pie crust!).

This recipe is started with a brown sugar shortbread crust that gets pressed into a baking pan. The crust cooks on its own while the filling is prepared. The maple pecan filling cooks on the stove for only a couple of minutes and then gets poured onto the crust and returns to the oven for another 20 minutes. I like to finish these with a sprinkling of salt to balance all the sweetness. You will not be disappointed with the gooey, crunchy, sweet and buttery textures and flavors going on here. These would make a fantastic addition to any holiday gathering and they are the perfect way to end a meal on a sweet note, even if it’s only a bite or two.

Maple Pecan Bars
Makes one 8×8 pan (9-16 bars, depending on how big you slice them)

For the crust:
1 stick  butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar, tightly packed
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the filling:
6 tablespoons butter, diced
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 tablespoons milk
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon salt, I like flaked sea salt for this

For the crust:

Preheat oven to 350. Line an 8×8 pan with foil, leaving a couple inches overhang. Spray or butter the foil.

Beat butter and brown sugar for several minutes. Add flour and salt, beat until thoroughly combined. Dump the mixture (it will be crumbly) into the prepared pan and press it evenly into the bottom of the pan. Bake for 15 minutes. When the crust has about 5 minutes left to cook, start the filling.

For the filling:

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and milk. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and simmer for one full minute. Stir in the pecans and pour the filling evenly over the crust.

Return to the oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes.  Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and cool completely before cutting into squares.

Small Batch Brownies

See those 6 brownies in the photo above? That’s the whole recipe! For those of you who have a small family (like me), I came up with a small recipe that makes just a few brownies. Although I’m usually happy to bake large quantities and share with others, sometimes I just want to make something small – a recipe that doesn’t use several sticks of butter or cups of sugar; one that can be made in one bowl and produces just enough for my family of three to enjoy.

I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s easy, quick and the results are delicious. A perfect little batch of brownies with chewy edges and fudgy centers. These are made in a loaf pan, so it yields an approximately 9×5 rectangle of brownies. Once cooled, I cut these into 6 medium sized squares, but you can divide them up however you choose. I like to throw a handful of chocolate chips into the batter for extra-fudgy brownies, but you could add nuts instead or leave out the mix-ins completely.

Small Batch Brownies
Makes 6 medium brownies

5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
heaping 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water
1 egg
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
handful of chocolate chips or walnuts, optional

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9×5 loaf pan or line the inside with foil, leaving a couple inches overhang. If using foil, spray or butter it.

Begin by browning the butter. Put the 5 tablespoons of butter in a medium saucepan,  set over medium heat. Cook for several minutes, stirring occasionally, until the butter turns golden brown and smells nutty. This link has great step by step photos for browning butter.

Once the butter is browned, remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the granulated sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and water. Stir until combined. Set it aside for about 5 minutes, to cool slightly.

After 5 minutes, add the egg and stir until combined. Then add the the flour and stir vigorously for about 1 minute.

Stir in chocolate chips or walnuts, if using, and then pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, until the tops of the brownies appear dry and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out fairly clean (there might be a little chocolate clinging to it, that’s fine). Eat warm or allow the brownies to cool slightly before cutting them.

Related articles

• Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies (celebratingsweets.wordpress.com)

3 Ingredient Chocolate Peppermint Cookies (Homemade Thin Mints)

As Christmas approaches I start to get in the mood for all things chocolate and peppermint. I know it’s only November and Christmas is over a month away, but the stores are playing Christmas music and Starbucks has rolled out their holiday cups, so I’m just gonna to go with it. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make these cookies immediately. They are so simple and delicious. If you’ve ever had a Thin Mint Girl Scout cookie you will notice the similarities immediately – a thin, crunchy chocolate cookie with a smooth chocolate-peppermint coating. The fun thing about making these at home is that you can customize them however you want. You can add some garnishes (ground cookies or chopped candy canes?) to the tops and you can choose the chocolate that you want to dip them in. I used semi-sweet, but milk chocolate or dark chocolate would work also. I even drizzled a few with melted white chocolate. Get creative and have fun with these. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
Makes 16 cookies

16 chocolate wafer cookies or 8 Oreos
1 cup chocolate chips, I used semi-sweet
1/4 teaspoon (or more) pure peppermint extract
Optional garnishes: crushed Oreos, crushed candy canes/peppermint candies or mini chocolate chips.

If using Oreos, twist the sandwiches apart and use a butter knife to scrape out the cream filling. You can discard the filling, or eat it. You won’t need it for the cookies. Split 8 Oreos to make 16 chocolate cookies. Set the cookies aside.

Place a piece of wax or parchment paper on a baking sheet and set it aside. You will place the cookies here to cool.

Set a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water and dump the chocolate chips into the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate chips until they melt completely and you have a smooth, glossy chocolate sauce. Stir in the peppermint extract. Start with 1/4 teaspoon, stir it in and taste it. If you’d like more peppermint flavor, stir in a drop or two at a time until you reach the peppermint flavor that you prefer. I leave the bowl of chocolate over the simmering water during the dipping process because it needs to stay smooth and melted.

Working with one cookie at a time, submerge it into the chocolate sauce and use a fork to flip it over and coat all sides. Once the cookie is coated in chocolate, use the fork to lift it out of the chocolate and tap the fork several times on the side of the bowl, allowing the extra chocolate to run off the cookie and back into the bowl. This will also help smooth out the tops of the cookie. Place the cookie on the parchment paper and continue with the rest of the cookies*. Once all the cookies have been dipped, you can transfer the baking sheet to the fridge for faster cooling or you can leave it at room temp for a couple hours, until the chocolate firms up.

*If you’d like to add garnishes to the tops of your cookies, do so right after they come out of the melted chocolate. This will ensure that they stick to the cookies.

Recipe adapted from Top With Cinnamon

Gooey Double Chocolate Chip & Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars

I know the title of this recipe is annoyingly long, but I couldn’t leave anything out. I needed to make sure that you know exactly what’s going on in these tasty bars. If I didn’t have you at “gooey” or “double chocolate chip” or “salted caramel,” well, I guess there’s no hope. Carry on. But for those of you that were pulled in by any of the above, please keep reading. And let me just tell you – These. Are. So. Delicious.

I took oatmeal cookie dough and I layered it with white and dark chocolate chips and salted caramel and I baked it until golden brown and gooey. These bars will satisfy both oatmeal cookie lovers and chocolate chip cookie lovers. And the salted caramel? Well, that’s just the icing on the cake – er, bars. Enjoy!

Gooey Double Chocolate Chip & Salted Caramel Oatmeal Cookie Bars
Makes 9 generous servings

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1 egg
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips, divided (I used half white chocolate and half dark chocolate)
1/2 cup (approximately) salted caramel sauce, divided (I used store bought from Trader Joe’s)

Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray an 8 x 8 baking pan and set aside.

Beat butter and brown sugar for several minutes until light and smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt. Add oat mixture to the butter mixture, beating just until combined. Press a little more than half the mixture (about two-thirds) into the bottom of your prepared pan, making sure it is evenly distributed. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on top of the bottom layer. Drizzle 1/4 cup of caramel on top of the chocolate chips. Using your fingers drop small mounds of the remaining cookie dough all over the top. It should cover most of the chocolate chips, but some might peak through -that’s fine. Scatter the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips over the top and bake for 18-20 minutes, until light brown. Cool for 30 minutes, then drizzle or pour several tablespoons of caramel sauce on top.

These are best served when slightly warm – they’re extra gooey! But, they will keep for several days tightly covered at room temperature.

Cranberry White Chocolate Bars (Copycat Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars)

I must say, these bars are a crowd favorite. I’ve been making them for several years and everyone that I have shared them with has loved them. If you’ve had a Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bar, then you know how great the dried cranberry/white chocolate/soft blondie combo is. These are a very close replica to the Starbucks bars and I like them just as much, if not more. For those unfamiliar with a Cranberry Bliss Bar, let me walk you through this … it starts with a soft, sweet blondie bar which has dried cranberries and white chocolate chips mixed into it. Once cooked and cooled the bars are topped with a white chocolate cream cheese frosting and then garnished with more dried cranberries and a few drizzles of melted white chocolate. Delicious!

A few notes about baking: This recipe is super easy and the batter and frosting both come together in a matter of minutes. The trickiest part of this recipe is melting the white chocolate, which you’ll need for the topping. You can melt it in the microwave or in a double boiler. I usually go the microwave route because it’s faster (and creates fewer dishes!) but you have to melt it very slowly. I put it in for 15-20 seconds at a time and stir, stir, stir between each interval. If you over cook it, the chocolate will pass the melted stage and turn hard and lumpy and unfortunately, there’s no going back at that point. You’ll have to start over.
I have made this exact recipe in an 8×8 pan and an 8.5×11 pan. The smaller pan (8×8) will make bars that are a little bit thicker, whereas the larger pan will make thinner bars (my photos are from bars made in an 8.5×11). Adjust your cooking time accordingly (see below). You’ll want to make sure not to over cook these. Part of deliciousness of this recipe is the soft, moist bars as the base.

Cranberry White Chocolate Bars
Makes 15-20 bars

Bars:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted and cooled just slightly
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup (or more) dried cranberries

For the bars:

Preheat oven to 350. Butter or spray an 8×8 pan or 8.5×11 pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk melted butter and brown sugar. Add egg and vanilla extract, whisk until combined.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and stir until the ingredients are combined. Fold in the 1/2 cup of dried cranberries and 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips. Spread the batter in an even layer in the prepared pan (the batter will be thick).

Bake the 8×8 pan for 18-20 minutes or the 8.5×11 pan for 15-17 minutes. The bars are done when they have puffed slightly, are light brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. They will continue to cook a little as they cool, so be careful not to over bake them. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

For the frosting:

Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and salt until smooth, several minutes. Add in half of the melted white chocolate and beat to combine. Frost the cooled bars with the frosting and scatter the dried cranberries on top. Drizzle the remaining melted white chocolate over the top.

Store the bars tightly covered in the refrigerator. I like to let them sit at room temp for an hour or so before serving.  I cut them into triangles and I find that they cut cleanest once they have been refrigerated.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins

I’m always on the lookout for fairly healthy foods that I can offer my toddler for breakfast. He is a picky eater and I struggle to find meals that are nutritious and balanced that he will willingly eat. I’ve learned that if I refer to something as “cake” he is more likely to eat it, so if he asks, these are apple cinnamon cakes. OK?
Toddler trickery aside, these are tasty muffins for adults and kids alike. I’ve learned that when I am baking with whole wheat flour, it helps to have some fruit in the recipe (see here or here). The fruit adds moisture and lightness and helps the whole wheat flour from becoming too heavy and dense. Not only do the apples keep the muffins moist, but the apple flavor pairs perfectly with the cinnamon that’s in the muffins and in the topping. The topping is made up of oats, walnuts, brown sugar and cinnamon. It  adds a nice crunch and slight sweetness to the muffins. If you’d like, you can omit the streusel topping for an even healthier muffin.

Whole Wheat Apple Cinnamon Muffins
Makes 9 muffins

Muffins:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
3 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 heaping cup peeled, finely chopped apples (about 2 small apples or 1 large)

Oat-Walnut Streusel:
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons old fashioned oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons cold butter, diced into small cubes

For the muffins:

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter 9 muffin cups or fill with 9 muffin liners, set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir both flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt until combined.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, brown sugar, oil, milk and vanilla extract until combined. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over mix.

Fold the chopped apples into the batter.

Divide the batter between 9 prepared muffin cups and set aside while you make the topping.

For the streusel topping:

Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and salt. Add in butter and using your fingertips rub the butter into the oat mixture until pea sized crumbs form. Divide the topping between the 9 muffins and lightly press it onto the tops of each muffin.

Place the muffins in the oven for 13-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool for 5 minutes, them remove the muffins from the muffin tin and cool completely on a rack.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches

Are you guys burnt out on pumpkin yet? I’m getting there, but I still have a few more pumpkin recipes to squeeze in before I move on. This was my first ever attempt at pumpkin ice cream sandwiches and I’m quite pleased with how they turned out. It’s the flavors of fall squeezed into an ice cream sandwich. These are made of spiced, chewy molasses cookies sandwiched with store bought pumpkin ice cream. Since I only had to make the cookies, these sandwiches came together quickly. If you’re not in the mood for ice cream sandwiches, the spice cookies are great on their own. I kept a few aside to have with a cup of tea and they were delicious.
If you’re making the cookies for sandwiching, it’s important that they come out close to the same size so that when you sandwich them, each side is even. I recommend using a cookie scoop, this is my favorite one (in medium size). If you don’t have a cookie scoop, you can roll the dough by hand.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream Sandwiches
Makes 7 ice cream sandwiches (14 cookies) – recipe can easily be doubled to make more

1/2 cup coarse sugar, for rolling (optional)
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons molasses
Pumpkin ice cream

Make the cookies:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper and set aside.

Place the 1/2 cup of coarse sugar on a plate and set it aside. You will roll the balls of dough in this before baking them.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices and salt.

In a large bowl, beat butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy, several minutes. Add egg yolk and molasses and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined.

Scoop out the dough using a 1 1/2 tablespoon measure and roll each ball of dough in the coarse sugar and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough, placing the cookies a couple inches apart on the baking sheets.

Bake for 10-13 minutes, until the edges have darkened slightly and the middles are dry but still soft. Cool completely on the baking sheets.

Assemble the sandwiches:

Flip a cookie over and place a generous scoop of pumpkin ice cream on the bottom side of the cookie. Place another cookie on top of it (bottom side down) and squish it down slightly. Assemble all sandwiches  and eat them immediately or store, tightly covered, in the freezer.

Cookies adapted from Martha Stewart