Recipe: Chinese Five-Spice Gingerbread Cookies

Found this recipe yesterday on the Boston Globe Newspaper Archive Recipe site
and it sounds so good thought I would share it with everyone!

Suzanne Lombardi's Chinese Five-Spice Gingerbread Sandwich Cookies

"These cookies have a spicy flavor and a snappy texture.
Depending upon the occasion, Lombardi suggests using a
small cookie cutter to shape them into hearts or stars.
Chinese five spice is availabe in the spice section of most
supermarkets."

For the cookies:

3 cups flour
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/4 teaspoons Chinese five spice (such as Spice Islands Brand)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet butter
1 cup molasses
1 egg

For the filling:

8 ounces white chocolate (such as Callebaut), finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon orange oil (or Grand Marnier liqueur)

To make the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 Degrees. Sift the flour, cinnamon,
Chinese five spice, baking powder, ginger, cloves, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl.

In another medium bowl, beat the sugar with the butter until fluffy. Beat in the molasses and then the egg. Add the flour mixture and beat until a soft
dough forms. Shape the dough into a disc, seal in plastic wrap, and refrigerate
for 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of approximately
1/8 inch. Using a small cookie cutter, cut the dough into shapes and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (rotating the sheet
halfway through baking), or until puffy and firm. Let the cookies cool on wire
racks.

To make the filling, place the chocolate in a small bowl. Heat the cream in a
small saucepan until almost boiling. Pour the cream over the chocolate and
add the orange oil; stir until smooth. When the filling has thickened slightly
spread a small amount over the back side of one cookie. Press the back side of
another cookie over the filling to create a sandwich. Let set.

Makes 2-3 dozen sandwich cookies (depending upon the size of the cutter)