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Text and recipe by Camilla Wynne, produced by Aimee Nishitoba, photography by Carmen Cheung, food styling by Eshun Mott, prop styling by Madeleine Johari.
One of the best dessert experiences of recipe developer Camilla Wynne's youth was eating these sandwiches—two fudgy cookies bonded together by a melted After Eight—cold from her aunt’s freezer. This ginger-spiked version is even more festive than the original.
2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
1 tbsp ground ginger
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp (113 g) granulated sugar, divided
1/3 cup (38 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
170 g dark chocolate, melted
1/4 cup molasses
24 thin chocolate-covered mints, such as After Eights
Whisk flour with ginger, baking soda, cloves, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
Using an electric mixer on medium, beat 1⁄2 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in oil, then egg, chocolate and molasses. Sift in flour mixture, then stir until just combined. Cover and refrigerate until dough is firm, 1 to 2 hrs.
Position rack in centre of oven, then preheat to 350F. Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment.
Pour remaining 2 tbsp sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll dough into 48 balls (about 1 scant tbsp each.) Roll balls in sugar, then arrange 2 in. apart on prepared sheets.
Bake until cookies are set and cracked, 10 to 13 min. Transfer cookies to a rack to cool for 10 min before sandwiching with chocolate mints while still warm. Set aside to cool.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze in an airtight container between layers of wax paper for up to 3 months. They need to defrost at room temperature only for a few minutes before enjoying.
Camilla Wynne is a Toronto-based cookbook author, writer and recipe developer. Her most recent cookbook is Nature's Candy.