Brown Sugar Ginger Crisps & Vanilla Orange Zest Frozen Yogurt Sandwiches

A "creamsicle" stuffed between two cookies...let's begin with an, INTERESTING INGREDIENT FACT...

Ginger: A common article of medieval and Renaissance trade, it was one of the spices used against the plague. In English pubs and taverns in the nineteenth century, barkeepers put out small containers of ground ginger, for people to sprinkle into their beer — the origin of ginger ale. (Source: theepicentre, Encyclopedia of Spices)

As if you need another reason to make this dessert...these Brown Sugar Ginger Crisp Cookie's soft and chewy, gingery middle and crisp, brown sugar, buttery edges... make them an indisputable, homemade cookie favorite!

Usually reserved for the holiday season...when I caught my toddler vigorously shaking an unopened bag of crystallized ginger (ransacked from the bottom of the pantry)...I considered it a sign to get baking! (What does a kid have to do around here to get a homemade cookie in May?!)

For a seasonal twist - stuff two cookies with homemade, vanilla frozen yogurt mixed with a pinch of fresh orange zest. The end result...an elegant, refined, light and easy dessert ~ perfect for kids and adults!

Brown Sugar Ginger Crisps
Gourmet Magazine 2001

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (3 oz)
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Preparation"
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at moderate speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in yolk, vanilla, and gingers. Add flour mixture and mix at low speed until just combined.

Drop heaping teaspoons of dough about 3 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until golden, 13 to 15 minutes (our convection oven, they took 8 minutes.) Cool cookies on sheets on racks 5 minutes, then transfer with a metal spatula to racks to cool completely.

Frozen Vanilla Yogurt with Orange Zest
1 cup Low Fat Vanilla Yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar (more or less to taste, depends on level of sweetness you desire)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Mix the above ingredients together and freeze. I froze mine in muffin tins (1/4 full) and it took approximately 2 hours to set. When you're ready to assemble the sandwiches, remove frozen yogurt from the freezer, let sit a minute or two at room temperature and then loosen the yogurt from the tins by taking a knife along the sides - yogurt should pop out. (You can also simply freeze in a freezer safe container and scoop out when ready.) Place in-between two cookies, press lightly, taking care not to press too hard. Serve immediately or wrap in saran wrap and freeze for when ready to eat. (If very frozen, let frozen sandwiches sit at room temp. for 10+ minutes before serving.)