Now, let’s talk about the flavours. These cookies strike a perfect balance between sweetness and spice. With a blend of two sugars, chocolate, cream, and honey, they lean towards the indulgent side. But fear not, they pair beautifully with your favourite brew, making for a delightful, sweet treat.

When you bite into these cookies, you’ll be greeted with a soft, chewy texture that’s reminiscent of a French macaron. The cookie is infused with the warm, aromatic flavours of mixed spices, cinnamon, and ginger, giving it a unique twist on the classic gingerbread.

One thing we noticed was how similar the texture and flavours seemed to match those found in Head Chimp Laura’s favourite Christmas treat, Lebkuchen. If you haven’t heard of these, they are these amazing chewy German cookies, typically topped with a thin layer of icing or chocolate.

You can usually find them in the festive aisle at supermarkets in the lead-up to Christmas; they aren’t available all year round (which Laura gets very upset about!). However, these Coffee Cream Sandwich Cookies are the next best thing, and they incorporate coffee, which is always a bonus!

Now I know what you are thinking. Why are you baking something that sounds festive in May? Well, I don’t know about you, but those flavours are just very nostalgic. It takes me back to my childhood when I used to walk to my local bakery with my grandad every weekend, where I always got a gingerbread man. These flavours are just the ultimate comfort regardless of the time of the year! But don’t take my word for it; why not give them a go yourself? Let’s bake.

Ingredients:

For the Cookies:

• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 1 ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground all spice
• 1 tbsp ground coffee (finely ground like espresso)
• 280g plain flour
• 170g unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 110g dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup (85ml) honey
• 150g of granulated sugar (plus more for rolling)
• 1 large egg

For the Coffee Cream:

• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (cubed)
• 225g milk chocolate
• ¾ cup double cream (175ml)
• 2 tsp ground coffee (finely ground like espresso)
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

Method

The Cookies:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. (plain flour, ginger, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, all spice and ground coffee)
2. Whisk the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, honey, and melted butter in a separate bowl until smooth. Then add the egg and mix until combined.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with a spoon until just combined. Try to avoid over-mixing!
4. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 20 minutes or overnight.
5. Preheat your oven to 190^oC/170^oC fan/375^o
6. Add the spare granulated sugar to a bowl and use a spoon to measure out your first ball of dough. Roll in your hands, then roll around in the granulated sugar. Add to a baking tray until you have roughly 6-8 balls (depending on your baking tray size).
7. Pop your remaining dough back in the fridge, as the dough needs to remain firm.
8. Bake one tray at a time for 10-11 minutes until they start to crack, and the edges are golden. If you notice your cookies are puffed, tap your baking tray on a surface to knock out the air.
9. Cool completely on a wire rack.

The Coffee Cream:

1. Chop/break 170g of the milk chocolate into chunks and add to a bowl. Then, add your cubes of unsalted butter.
2. Heat the cream until it just starts to boil, then remove from heat and add the ground coffee and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
3. Pour the cream over the chocolate & butter and stir until smooth. Don’t worry if there are little lumps of unmelted chocolate, as we will be whisking again later!
4. Chill in the fridge to thicken (roughly 20 minutes).
5. Beat with an electric mixer (or by hand) until pale and stiff.
6. Grab a cookie and spread the icing on the base or pipe using a piping bag. Then, take another cookie and create a sandwich (stick base to base). Repeat until all cookie sandwiches are made.
7. Chop your remaining chocolate and melt it in the microwave or over a bain-marie.
8. Use a spoon or a piping bag to drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the cookies.
9. Cool and enjoy!