Two Tone Gingerbread/Shortbread Cookies-

[PurplePuppy]

Two Tone Gingerbread/Shortbread Cookies

These cookies combine two cookies in one and are topped with a delicious browned butter frosting.





Shortbread cookies:
1 cup butter softened
3/4 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

Cream together the butter and sugar and blend in vanilla.
Add in the flour a little bit at a time as well as the pinch of salt.
Remove dough from bowl and knead slightly to bring it together into a dough ball.
Divide the dough into two pieces and roll into two logs that are about 10 inches long.
Wrap rolls in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm about 2 hours (or 45 minutes in the freezer).

Gingerbread dough:
1/4 cup butter softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp baking soda
pinch cloves and salt

Combine the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves and salt together in a medium sized bowl and set aside.
In a large bowl cream together the butter, sugar. Blend in egg yolk and then the molasses.
Add in dry ingredients gradually. Knead the dough slightly to bring it together into a ball.
Roll out dough between sheets of parchment paper and shape dough into a square that is 10" by 10".
Cut square into two equal rectangles.

Assembly:

Take one of the gingerbread rectangles and place one of the chilled shortbread logs on top. Placing it so that the log is about 2 inches from the edge of the long side of the gingerbread dough.
Using the parchment paper, roll the gingerbread dough around the shortbread log, sealing up the seam and patting the ends.
Wrap and refrigerate until firm, about an hour (30 minutes in freezer)

Slice dough logs into 1/4 inch slices with a sharp knife, place on a cookie sheet covered with a silicone mat or parchment and bake at 350F for about 10-12 minutes until firm and no longer shiny and when bottoms are lightly browned.

Brown butter frosting:
In a small saucepan melt and cook 1/2 cup of butter over medium heat. Cooking for about 3-4 minutes until butter foams up and has browned, swirling pan occasionally.
Remove from heat and stir in 2/3 cup icing sugar and a pinch of salt.
Whisk until smooth.

Dip tops and sides of cookies into frosting and allow to excess to drip off.
Allow frosting to set at room temperature or pop in the fridge for 15 minutes to hurry up the process.
Store in a covered container. Because of the frosting, you would be better off storing them in the refrigerator.