Crispy Lemon-Ginger Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 5 1/4 ounces sugar
• 4 ounces cold unsalted butter
• 1 ounce unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground or grated nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight
• 1/8 ounce lemon zest
• 6 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 ounce heavy cream
• For the filling:
• 5 ounces powdered sugar
• 2 1/2 ounces refined coconut oil
• 1/2 ounce fresh juice from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon pure lemon extract or lemon oil
• 1/4 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or use the same weight

Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the lower-middle spot and heat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attached, add the sugar, butter, molasses, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and lemon zest. Start on low just until everything is dampened, then turn the mixer to medium and beat until the mixture looks pale, soft, and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Drop the speed back to low, add the flour in one go, pour in the cream, and mix until the dough comes together completely.
2. Using a 1 1/2-teaspoon scoop, portion the dough into about 40 level scoops. Slice each portion in half, then roll each piece between your palms until smooth and round. If you prefer to weigh them, make 3/8-ounce (10g) portions and roll those smooth instead. They will seem teeny, but they spread quite a bit in the oven. Set them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with at least 1 1/4 inches of space between each one. Bake until the cookies are golden brown, have settled from their puffed shape, and feel slightly firm at the edges, about 10 minutes. Turn the pan about halfway through baking if you need to help them brown evenly. Let the cookies cool to room temperature right on the baking sheet; they crisp up only after they are no longer warm.
3. For the filling, place the powdered sugar, coconut oil, lemon juice, lemon extract, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Mix on low until combined, then raise the speed to medium and beat until the filling is soft and light, about 5 minutes. Scrape it into a disposable pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch pastry tip and use it right away.
4. Turn half of the cookies over, then pipe a shy 1/4 ounce of filling, about a heaping teaspoon or 6g, but no need to get fussy with measuring, into the middle of each one. Top with the remaining cookies to make sandwiches. Since drop cookies are never perfectly identical, do a little matching first so similarly shaped cookies end up together.
5. Move the finished cookies to an airtight container and chill them for 15 minutes so the coconut oil can firm up. If your kitchen often gets warmer than 75 degrees F (24 degrees C), keep the cookies in the fridge and let a few come to room temperature when you want to serve them. Stored this way, the cookies will last about 1 month. If your kitchen usually stays cooler than 75 degrees F, you can keep the cookies at room temperature for up to 1 week after that initial chill.