Ellen’s Harvest Ginger Cookies
Holiday food traditions have a way of wrapping us in warmth and joy. And the memories these Harvest Ginger Cookies evoke are just as comforting and delightful as the cookies themselves. Soft and pillowy, these cake-like ginger cookies are infused with warm holiday spices and two harvest-inspired flavors—an orange cream cheese frosting and a vibrant, tangy cranberry curd. Together, they create a perfect balance, with the cranberry curd providing a bright and refreshing complement to the rich, spiced warmth of the cookies.
The Story Behind the Cookies
These Ginger Harvest Cookies are inspired by my Aunt Ellen's beloved recipe. Every year, she would host a grand Thanksgiving feast for family and friends, and her Ginger Cookies were always a crowd favorite. They would be baked in large batches and stacked on a plate on the island in her charming French Country kitchen, ready for guests to enjoy as they arrived. They were so popular that she made sure to bake enough for everyone to take some home at the end of the night.
Her original version was large and soft, almost cake-like, and generously topped with a rich, vanilla cream cheese frosting. Aunt Ellen only ever made them around Thanksgiving, making them a highly anticipated treat. To say they were the star of the celebration would be an understatement.
Just One Thing...
Ellen’s kitchen was one of her happiest places, filled with warmth and conversation. Her daughter, my cousin Ellyne, fondly remembers the many moments they shared there.
I often like to ask people to pick "just one thing" from their loved one's kitchen that is most meaningful. Ellyne’s most treasured keepsake is her mother’s accordion file, packed with beloved recipes. Worn and well-loved, it now sits on Ellyne’s own kitchen counter, still tied with the red ribbon her mother carefully placed around it. The file holds more than just recipes; it is a collection of cherished memories—of holidays, special moments, and the love they shared in that kitchen.
Building on Beloved Memories
Food memories hold such a special place in my heart, and I always strive to honor the essence and soul of a cherished family recipe, while also adding my own twist. When I interviewed my cousin about her mother Ellen and this beloved recipe, I was struck by how deeply ingrained it was in their family's Thanksgiving tradition. So much so, that I couldn’t resist experimenting by incorporating some additional harvest-inspired flavors.
Something that really stood out to me while baking these cookies was just how soft and cake-like they are. These are not your typical ginger snaps; they’re puffy, tender, and absolutely delicious! In fact, they reminded me more of Whoopie pies than traditional cookies.
After several rounds of testing (and taste-testing), the only adjustment I made to the original recipe was swapping butter for the shortening to enhance the flavor. From my experience, butter tends to bring a richer, more nuanced flavor, whereas shortening is less flavorful but creates a slightly more structured cookie.
I refrigerated the dough for an hour before baking, which worked well to keep the cookies from spreading too much.
To further infuse these cookies with the cozy, festive flavors of Thanksgiving, I decided to add a touch of orange and cranberry. I flavored the buttercream with orange zest, and made a tangy cranberry curd to tuck into the center of each sandwich cookie. I also chopped some candied pecans and candied ginger and sprinkled those inside the sandwich cookies and along the edges.
The result? An explosion of well-balanced warm spices and bright, seasonal flavors.
Ingredients
- UNSALTED BUTTER
- ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
- GRANULATED SUGAR
- MOLASSES
- LARGE EGG
- BOILING WATER
- BAKING SODA
- KOSHER SALT
- GINGER CINNAMON
- NUTMEG
- CLOVES
Step-By-Step Guide for Harvest Ginger Cookies
1. Cream softened butter and sugar in a standing mixer for about one minute on medium speed.
2. Add egg and cream mix for another 30 seconds until fully incorporated and creamy.
3. Add molasses and mix for about 20 seconds to incorporate.
4. Add baking soda to boiling water. It will "fizzle" and dissolve. Add to the mixture and beat for another 10 seconds.
**This instruction to dissolve the baking soda in boiling water was in the original recipe. I was curious about this and did some research. I learned that this is a technique often used in recipes with molasses to reduce the likelihood that the baking soda will crystalize in reaction with the molasses.**
5. Add dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, cloves) and stir on the lowest setting until the batter is cohesive. It will be pretty loose, almost like a thick cake batter.
6. Put the dough in the refrigerator at least an hour to set in a bit before baking. It will still be a soft dough.
7. Use a pastry bag or small cookie scooper to make a small circles of dough on parchment paper or a silicone mat. I like to use one that has circle marks as a shortcut to ensure consistently-sized cookies.
8. Bake at a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes. The cookies are supposed to be soft. Set them aside to cool and remove and place them on a metal grate to cool.
Frosting and Filling
The frosting is a smooth, tangy cream cheese frosting brightened with orange zest. See recipe card for directions.
- POWDERED SUGAR (SIFTED)
- UNSALTED BUTTER (SOFTENED)
- FULL FAT CREAM CHEESE (SOFTENED)
- VANILLA EXTRACT
- KOSHER SALT
- ORANGE ZEST
Cranberry Curd Filling
Complementing the tangy cream cheese frosting is a bright and fruity cranberry citrus curd. It is a delicious ingredient to have on hand, especially around the holidays. It comes together quickly and is a decadent additional flavor for these cookies.
Check out the recipe for Merry Cranberry Citrus Curd.
In a time pinch? While cranberry curd is a beyond dreamy and delicious, you can alternatively add prepared cranberry sauce to the center of the cookies.
Assembling Harvest Ginger Cookies
During assembly, I set up a station with the orange cream cheese frosting, cranberry curd, finely chopped pecans (candied or roasted) and finely chopped candied ginger.
Frost the center with cream cheese frosting, leaving some room in the center for curd. Add the curd to the center and sprinkle the middle and edges with pecans and candied ginger and add another cookie to the top. You can also make these cookies "open face" style.
Special thanks to my beautiful Cousin, Ellyne for sharing these very special memories and delicious family recipe. I am excited to add this recipe to my holiday traditions as well. Enjoy!
Ellen’s Harvest Ginger Cookies
Description
Soft and pillowy, these cake-like ginger cookies combine warm holiday spices, a silky sweet orange cream cheese frosting and a vibrant, tangy cranberry curd. Together, they create a delicious and beautiful bite that is perfect for the holidays.
Ingredients
COOKIES
- 1/2 cup or 115 grams of unsalted softened butter
- 1 cup or 200 grams of granulated sugar
- 1 large egg (room temperature)
- 4.5 cups or 560 grams of all purpose flour
- 1 cup or 320 grams of molasses
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 teaspoons powdered ginger
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup or 240 grams of boiling water
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
FROSTING
- 1/2 cup or 115 grams of unsalted butter softened
- 1 package or 250 grams of cream cheese softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4.5 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1.5 teaspoons of orange zest
Instructions
COOKIES
- Cream softened butter and sugar in a standing mixer for about one minute on medium speed.
- Add egg and cream mix for another 30 seconds until fully incorporated and creamy.
- Add molasses and mix for about 20 seconds to incorporate.
- Add baking soda to boiling water. It will “fizzle” and dissolve. Add to the mixture and beat for another 10 seconds.
- Add dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt, cloves) and stir on the lowest setting until the batter is cohesive. It will be pretty loose, almost like a thick cake batter.
- Put the dough in the refrigerator at least an hour to set in a bit before baking. It will still be a soft dough.
- Use a pastry bag or small cookie scooper to make a small circles of dough on parchment paper or a silicone mat. I like to use one that has circle marks as a shortcut to ensure consistently-sized cookies.
- Bake at a 350° oven for 10-12 minutes. Check them at 10 minutes. The cookies are supposed to be soft. Set them aside to cool and remove and place them on a metal grate to cool.
FROSTING
- Cream softened butter and cream cheese in a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium high speed for about one minute.
- Add vanilla extract, salt and orange zest and mix for another 30 seconds until incorporated.
- Add sifted powdered sugar in three steps mixing each time and using a rubber spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl. Set aside.
CRANBERRY CURD
See link for this recipe.
SUGGESTED ASSEMBLY
- Once cookies are cooled, flip a cookie upside down so the round top is on the bottom. Use a pastry bag to pipe frosting in a circle on the cookie, leaving room in the center for a dollop of cranberry curd. You can use a small knife to spread if the frosting on if you prefer.
- Using a piping bag or small spoon, add some Merry Cranberry Citrus Curd to the center of the cookie (inside the frosting ring.)
- I like to add some crushed candied pecans and finely diced candied ginger inside for a textural and flavor enhancement.
- Place another cookie on top with the rounded side being on top and optionally sprinkle more pecans and candied ginger along the visible frosting edges of the sandwich cookie.
Notes
**You can optionally substituted homemade or good quality cranberry sauce for the cranberry curd. You can puree it to make it smooth or even try using a dollop of a more rustic cranberry sauce.
These are best eaten fresh but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. I have also vacuum sealed the ginger cookies and frozen them and added the fillings fresh before serving.
Featured Matriarch Muse : Ellen
