Gingercakes with Chocolate Truffle Filling
— approximately 24
Gingersnaps are crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside, glittering with the sugar they’re rolled in before baking.
Gingercakes are something entirely different: soft, spicy, luxuriously thick. In addition to the classic gingersnap duo of ginger and cinnamon, they include a spicy hit of cloves. Paired with a chocolate truffle filling, they create a perfect little indulgence to accompany a cup of coffee or tea as the finale to a meal or an afternoon treat.
The decadent chocolate filling makes use of a simple cook’s truc: a chocolate truffle is sandwiched between each pair of gingercakes. Unlike a classic ganache filling, it doesn’t have to be stored refrigerated. And that’s a good thing, because when chilled, the filling becomes too hard and the chocolate flavor is muted. If you end up refrigerating or freezing extra gingercakes, make sure they’ve come back to room temperature before indulging!
*Items marked in green are available from The Gourmet Corner.
Ingredients
- 2 3/4 cup unbleached flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 3/4 cup Échiré unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 1 egg
- 24 Cacao Noel Chocolate Truffles (or other un-dipped truffles)
Prepare Dough
In a large bowl, thoroughly whisk together the flour, baking powder, and spices.
Beat together the sugar and butter with a mixer until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl, add the molasses, and mix again until light. Scrape down the bowl and add the egg, then mix again until completely incorporated.
Add the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly, scraping down the bowl to make sure everything is evenly blended.
Cut two pieces of waxed paper or parchment paper 18″ long. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a 1.5″ log on a piece of waxed paper. Roll the paper up around the dough, keeping it as even and round as possible, then twist the ends. Chill the dough logs in the refrigerator 1-2 hours, then roll the wrapped logs on a counter to smooth them and remove any flat spots. Return to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 more hours, or up to 2 days.
Baking the Gingercakes
Pre-heat oven to 350F. Line two baking sheets with silpats or parchment paper.
Remove one log of dough from the refrigerator and unwrap. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, cut the dough evenly in 1/4-inch slices. Rotate the log of dough after every few cuts so that it doesn’t get a flat spot on one side.
Place the slices 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet, then bake 12-15 minutes or until barely browned on the bottom. Do not overbake, or the gingercakes will be hard. Gently transfer the cakes to a cooling rack and leave them until completely cooled.
Repeat slicing and baking with the second log of dough.
Filling the Gingercakes
Put several of the gingercakes bottom-up on a flat surface. Place a Cacao Noel truffle on each one, then top with a second gingercake and gently press down to sandwich the cookies and filling together. Repeat with the remaining cookies and truffles.
Note: if the kitchen is cold, the truffles may be too hard to flatten by pressing. In that case, place 3-4 of them at a time on a small, microwave-safe plate and microwave on low power in 10-second intervals until the truffles are slightly softened. If they get too soft to pick up, transfer them using a thin-bladed spatula or butter knife.
Store the gingercakes in an airtight container for 2-3 days. If they need to be kept for longer, freeze them — they are so moist, they stale rapidly.
