Lemon Meringue-Filled Gingersnap Snowflake Cookies

• GINGERSNAP DOUGH
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves, nutmeg, and freshly ground black pepper
• LEMON MERINGUE
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 3 large egg whites
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Powdered sugar for dusting

1. Make dough: Beat butter and brown sugar together in a bowl with a mixer on medium speed. Mix in molasses, then egg, until blended, scraping bowl as needed.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and spices; add to butter mixture on low speed, mixing until combined.
3. Divide dough in half, shape each into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill until firm, about 3 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 350u0b0. Unwrap dough. On a generously floured surface, roll out each disk until 1/8 in. thick. Using snowflake cutters to cut out dough in various sizes, some with the centers cut out using a smaller size cutter to make a window, and arrange snowflakes about 1 in. apart on parchment-lined baking sheets (use a small spatula to transfer). Reroll scraps as needed.
5. Bake cookies until dry-looking and just starting to brown on edges, about 8 minutes. Set pans on racks and let cookies cool on pans.
6. Make meringue: Put sugar, lemon juice, and egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set bowl over a pan filled with just enough simmering water so that bowl isn't touching water. Whisking constantly, heat mixture until egg whites are warm to the touch and sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. Put bowl of warm whites on mixer and whisk on medium speed until cool and fluffy, about 10 minutes. Stir in zest.
7. Fit a gallon-size resealable plastic bag with a star tip, snipping hole in corner of bag for tip to fit snugly (or use a pastry bag). Half-fill bag with meringue. Gather bag at top and gently pipe about 2 tbsp. meringue onto flat side of 1 cookie. Sandwich with another cookie. Repeat with remaining cookies. Dust cookies on both sides with powdered sugar.
8. Make ahead: Chill dough (step 3) up to 1 week. Store baked cookies airtight up to 3 days.
9. Note: Nutritional analysis is per cookie.

dough, butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, flour, baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, ground cloves, lemon meringue, sugar, lemon juice, egg whites, lemon, powdered sugar

Taken from www.myrecipes.com/recipe/lemon-meringue-filled-gingersnap-snowflake-cookies (may not work)