Bruleed Banana Cheese Gingersnap Treats (Croques Banane Brie Recipe)

I have Lulu to thank for inspiring me to prepare this snack. He was feeling a bit peckish, but there wasn’t a lot of food at home (the refrigerator is broken ). We had some brie leftover from my little munchkin’s birthday party, so he took a wedge of it and put it on a gingersnap cookie. Lulu was very proud of himself and offered me a bite.

The mixture of sweet and salty flavors and soft and crunchy textures was very pleasant, and it instantly took me back in time to my childhood. When I came home from school, I used to make myself brie and banana “sandwiches” with baguette or just sliced bread. It was probably my favorite snack. Given that there were some very ripe bananas in the house along with the brie and gingersnaps, it seemed only fitting that I should share a little bite of my childhood with Lulu and my little munchkin.

Of course, I’m not 7 anymore, so I decided to jazz it up a little. Caramelizing the bananas brought out additional flavors that really complemented the creaminess of the brie. And instead of white bread I used gingersnap cookies as the delivery device for the banana brie combo (thanks Lulu!). I’ve often found myself disappointed when I try to relive the memories of my favorite childhood dishes. This, happily, was not one of those times!

Mandarin and Ginger Sandwich Cookies

Using the same sugar cookie dough I used for the pinwheel cookies, today I made mandarin and ginger flavored sandwich cookies. The flavor is repeated in the cream as well, and to give the treats a holiday vibe I topped them with green, red and white Christmas sprinkle toppings.

I know it's the holiday season when the citrus trees in our garden start producing copious amounts of fruit. I took some Chinese mandarins from the garden to make these cookies. They were so incredibly fragrant and sweet that after eating all the segments, I couldn't throw away the zest. I think they were put to good (and delicious) use!