GINGERBREAD SUGARPLUM KISSES

Gingerbread SugarPlum Kisses image

When I think of Christams I think of sugarplums and sugar and berries and SPICE!! This cookie is a brainstorm of my youngest daughter's (my baby and true "mini me) creation.... What better way to celebrate the holiday's other than sugarplums and spice dancing on your taste buds!!! You have the gingerbread, the "blueberries"...

Provided by Didi Dalaba

Time 30m

Number Of Ingredients 21

Ingredients

GINGERBREAD COOKIES
3 1/4 c all purpose flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c light brown sugar
1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted softened butter
2 eggs
1/4 c molasses
FILLING
1/2 c blueberry preserves
1/2 c chopped walnuts (larger pieces broken)
1 tsp cinnamon
LEMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
1 stick (1/2 c) unsalted butter
4 oz cream cheese
2 c confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (or zest of 1 small lemon)

Steps:

1. In a bowl, combine all dry ingredients. Sift or mix till well incorporated. Set aside.
2. In your stand up mixer or bowl with hand mixer, cream sugar and butter till light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time till well incorporated. Then finely add your molasses, beat well. Add your dry ingredients slowly till nice dough forms. Wrap your dough in plastic wrap and refridgerate for 1/2 hr.
3. As dough is chilling, make your filling. In a small bowl, add your blueberry preserves, your cinnamon and finally your chopped walnuts, set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 350F. Remove chilled dough from the refridgerator, using a small cookie scoop, scoop out uniform size balls of dough. Place on cookie sheet. When all cookie balls have been placed, go back and make cookies into nice balls. Using your thumb, indent a thumbprint onto the middle of the cookie. If dough cracks, just work it over and smooth it.
5. Add your sugarplum filling (aka, your blueberry, walnut, cinnamon). Bake for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven, and let sit on cookie sheet for about 1 minute to ensure easier handling. Place cookies on cooling rack to cool.
6. As cookies are cooling, make your lemon cream cheese filling. In your mixer bowl, add your butter, cream cheese. Beat till light and fluffy. Add your sugar, vanilla and beat till thoroughly incorporated. Finally add your grated lemon zest. Spoon frosting into a pastry bag using a star tip, or a ziplock bag if needed. Pipe frosting over cookies right onto the cooling rack. Let sit overnight to ensure frosting has hardened. Enjoy!!