Gingersnap Raspberry/Apricot Sandwich Cookies

I think there's something special about sending someone off on a plane ride with something freshly baked. The trip can be long and lonely and home baked cookies are just the thing to make that person feel a bit more at ease on the plane. If nothing else, they sure beat plane food. And so, with a very special person leaving (my mom), I wanted to make something for her but also something with a different flavor profile, something that I know she appreciates. I mentioned to my sister that I was going to bake this recipe and she gave me the thumbs up-- because this recipe calls for jelly, which if you remember from a couple of posts back is her fave. So I opened up Martha's cookie book to this Gingersnap-Raspberry Sandwich Cookies. These cookies are simple enough to make, and I had everything in my pantry, so they were pretty much a snap to put together. The cookie features maple syrup and a full tbsp of ground ginger, which I was nervous about, albeit for no reason. The cookies are rolled in sugar and baked. They baked up to be picture-perfect, I might add. Interestingly, as they were baking, I noticed that its smell was quite redolent of a cookie that my mother used to make when we were kids, but her recipe didnt call for ginger. In any case, it brought me back to the smells of my mother's kitchen, something only baking can do. I had half empty jars of both apricot and raspberry jellies so I just used up both, which was good for some diversity. The cookies came out uniformly enough in shape that finding pairs to make sandwiches wasn't an issue. In fact, the sandwich part was kinda fun. In any case, these sandwich cookies were really well loved by my sister, brother in law and most importantly, my mom. Most didnt make it on the plane, after the munching and the saving some for my sister, but I'm pretty sure it's the thought that counts.

Gingersnap Raspberry/Apricot Sandwich Cookies
from Martha Stewart's Cookies

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp ground ginger1/2 cup unsalted butter or margarine, room temperature
1/4 cup shortening
2 cups sugar, divided
1/4 cup pure maple syrup, ONLY the real stuff
1 large egg
1 cup raspberry or apricot jam, or half of each

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients. Set aside.
Place the margarine, shortening and one cup of the sugar in a bowl and beat on medium speed. Add the maple syrup and beat to combine. Beat in the egg. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add in the reserved flour mixture, a little at a time, until all blended.

Here's my dough.

Place the remaining cup of sugar in a bowl or a plate and using a small cookie scoop, scoop the dough and place in the sugar, rolling to coat.

Place them on the cookie sheet.

Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. Just a tip, if you are using parchment that is larger than your baking sheet, pull the parchment so that the overhang is at the far side, and the parchment closest to you is lining the corners of the sheet. This makes it easier to pull the cookie sheet out without ruining the edges of the cookies closest to you. Alternatively, use a silpat. Remove to a wire rack to cool.

Find a suitable cookie pair for each cookie. Spread one half with the flavored jelly of your choice and then top with the other half.