Lemon Meringue-filled Gingersnap Snowflake Cookies

Prepare Gingersnap recipe through step 4, using snowflake cutters. Bake as directed:

Gingersnaps

Time: 1 hour. This recipe makes a lot of cookies. You can halve it if you like, but, to get the most variety from your batch, we suggest you use half the dough to make gingersnaps and use them for dulce de leche or ice cream sandwiches, then use the rest of the dough for the sugar-and-spice cookies or the lemon meringue stars.

YIELD: Makes 100 cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup unsulphured molasses

1 large egg

3 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Beat butter and brown sugar together in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Mix in molasses, then egg, until blended, scraping bowl as needed.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to butter mixture on low speed, mixing until combined.

3. Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 3 hours.

4. Preheat oven to 350°. Unwrap dough. On a generously floured surface, roll out each disk until 1/8 in. thick. Using round 2 1/2- to 3-in. cookie cutters, cut out dough and arrange circles about 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets (use a small spatula to transfer). Reroll scraps as needed.

5. Bake cookies until dry-looking and just starting to brown on edges, about 8 minutes. Set pans on racks and let cookies cool on pans.

Make ahead: Chill dough (step 3) up to 1 week. Store baked cookies airtight up to 3 days.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.

Lemon Meringue Filling:

Put 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice, and 3 large egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Set bowl over a pan filled with 1 in. simmering water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until egg whites are warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes.

Put bowl of warm whites on mixer and mix on medium speed until cool and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Stir in finely shredded zest of 1 lemon.

Fit a gallon-size resealable plastic bag with a 1-in. star tip, snipping hole in corner of bag for tip to fit snugly (or use a pastry bag).

Half-fill bag with meringue. Gather bag at top and gently pipe about 2 tbsp. meringue onto flat side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Dust cookies on both sides with powdered sugar. Makes 50.

Make-ahead tip:  Chill dough (step 3) up to 1 week. Store baked cookies airtight up to 3 days. Cookies can be filled up to 5 hours ahead.

Recipe Source: http://www.sunset.com/food-wine/holidays-occasions/easy-christmas-cookie-recipes-00400000059782/page14.html