Gingersnap Coconut Creams

"When Christmas is around the corner, we want gingerbread and macaroons.  I combine the two for gingersnap sandwhiches filled with sweet coconut." Darlene Brenden Salem, Or field Editor TasteofHome.com  Dec. 2014  pg. 44 recipe

I was curious about this recipe since I love gingerbread and Matt loves coconut.  Also this recipe is smaller scale than my normal gingersnap cookie with a kiss that dad likes so much.  Win - Win
I loved the sandwhich cookie idea and filling inside is GOOD.

 Prep: 35 Min.
Bake: 10./batch + cooling
Makes: (I made about 18 complete cookies using small cookie scoop...recipes says 4 dozen?)

INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup molasses (I used dark molasses and I think that is why my cookies turned out darker than magazine pic)
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp. orange extract (didn't have orange but used coconut and it was great - a citrus hint would be fun to try too, but I think I'll stick with coconut extract!)
1/4 cup flaked coconut

1) Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and molasses.  In another bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves; gradually beat into creamed mixture.

2) Drop dough by level teaspoonfuls 1 in apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.  Bake cookies 6-8 minutes or just until edges begin to brown.  Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

3)  For coconut filling, in a small bowl, mix butter, confectioners' sugar and orange extract until blended; stir in coconut.  Spread on bottoms of half of the cookies; cover with remaining cookies.

per sandwhich cookie 58 cal., 3 g fat (2 g. sat. fat), 10 mg. chol., 50 mg sodium, 8 g carb., trace fiber, 1 g pro.