These cookies posed an interesting challenge: Apparently there was a mistake in the recipe that was initially published on the Food & Wine website. It caused Bitten Word readers -- and apparently tons of other F&W readers, judging by the comments left on the recipe page -- to experience a major cookie fail. The mistake? The online version of the recipe called for 1/2 cup flour instead of 3 1/2 cups. Oops.
But then, Food & Wine corrected the error. So those Bitten Word readers who made their Gingersnaps early wound up with a puddle of cookie dough. But those who waited a few more days were rewarded with a corrected recipe -- and a very yummy-sounding cookie! See the results here.
Teri: There's gotta be a misprint in there somewhere because the photo, after two attempts at following the recipe as written, speaks volumes. The flavor of what could be scraped off the parchment was stellar but this is an epic fail.
Val H: The recipe called for 3/4 cups flour = very tasty gingersnap puddles. Comments corrected the recipe to 3-3/4 cups flour. Typo blunder resulted in VERY tasty browned butter icing eaten with a spoon and the house smelling like Christmas.
JackieK: Recipe is too time consuming with wrong flour to butter ratio. The end result is a big blob of greasy goo!!
Lisa S.: Expensive recipe for disaster! Possible error between print and web magazine's flour measurements. Dough tastes like it would be a fantastic cookie and am trying to salvage it.
Dan H: Massive mistake in the magazine's listed recipe. Commenters had the same experience I had and the cookie recipe failed. It made the house smell great though--cinnamon, ginger, orange! The end result is best enjoyed with a straw though.
Melissa B: This cookie is like a holiday spiced oatmeal cream pie. I thought the cream cheese filling could use a little more sweetness, but the official taste testers thought they were perfect.
Aileens: These sandwich cookies are delicious and definitely worth the effort--the filling more buttery than frosting-like. The crispy, citrusy snaps are even awesome without the filling; husband loved all with a glass of milk.
Elana & Charlie: If you're looking for a more decadent version of the traditional ginger and spice cookie, this recipe is for you. With 4.5 sticks of butter total and cookie sandwiches the size of your fist, the cookies boast a perfect texture and delicate flavor; next time I would skip the rich frosting and just make the cookies.
Avy Stock: Let's be honest, anything with cream cheese frosting is going to be insanely good, but the gingerbread sandwich makes it snappy. Hard to make, easy to eat.
Anne: Chewy, spicy, made overly sweet with the brown-butter-cream cheese filling. I would make the cookies again, with more spices and a little pepper -- and no filling.