At first glance, ginger and caramel may seem like an odd pairing. But one bite of this cookie will convince you that it’s a marriage made in heaven. The sharp bite of ginger is tamed by the sweet creamy caramel.

While we traditionally associate ginger molasses cookies with the winter holiday season, I discovered that they are equally delicious in summer, with a big scoop of salted caramel ice cream sandwiched between two chewy ginger molasses cookies. My favourite ginger molasses cookie recipe comes from my friend Lanie. She calls them Ginger Crinkle Cookies, because they develop beautiful cracks all over the surface as they bake. Ever notice how we covet cracks and crevices in our cookies, but not in our aging skin? Just saying!

I wish I could take credit for the genius idea of stuffing a sea salt caramel into the centre of a ginger cookie. But I must give credit for the inspiration to blogger and cookbook author Ruth Tam. When she posted these cookies on her Instagram page a few weeks ago, I knew I must add them to my holiday cookie list.

Watch the video below to see how these cookies come together.

When choosing the caramel to stuff into the centre of these cookies, be sure to use a good quality sea salt caramel. The inexpensive square caramel candies they sell in the supermarket do not stay creamy for very long after baking. I have baked these a few times now. The first time I used Sea Salt Caramels from Target. They were pretty good. The second time I made them, I made my own caramels. I used this recipe from Sally. Excellent caramels and if you have a candy thermometer, they are foolproof!

Next time I make them I want to try pickle and myrrh’s sea salt caramels. They ship worldwide and I have heard amazing things about them.

More is not always better, especially in the case of caramel. A small piece in the centre of each cookie will suffice. I speak from experience. With my second batch, I tried to cram in more caramel and I got a gooey mess. The creamy caramel escaped from the confines of the dough and the cookie never really set up properly. The perfect ratio is 48-50 grams of dough (about 2.5 tablespoons or this cookie scoop) to 8 grams of caramel. And yes I measured with a scale. That’s why all my cookies baked evenly.

Once the cookies are scooped, I released them right into the coarse sanding sugar. The cookie scoop makes lovely little ridges on the top of the dough ball, perfect for filling in with the sugar. Don’t be tempted to roll the dough into a smooth tidy ball with your hands. Remember, we want a cracked surface.

When you remove them from the oven, they will be golden brown, but still quite soft. Leave them on the cookie sheet for a good 10-15 minutes to set up before you try to move them.

If you plan to make your own caramels, click here to print recipe for Sea Salt Vanilla Caramels from Sally’s Baking Addiction.