Gingered Shortbread Recipes

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Mix flour to salt ingredients well.
• Cream butter and sugar together and add to dry ingredients.
• Fold in crystallized ginger. Mixture will be crumbly.
• Place in a buttered 9x9 inch pan and bake at 350* for 45 minutes.
• Cut while still warm.

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift together flour and salt into a small bowl; set aside. Place butter in bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Cream until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 2 minutes more. Add vanilla, if using. Add flour mixture, and combine on low speed, scraping with spatula if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed with fingers.
• Pat dough into prepared pan. If rolling out dough to cut into shapes, form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Sift 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, a pinch of ground cloves, and a pinch of pepper with flour and salt. Roll dough on lightly floured surface to 1/2 inch thick. Cut out gingerbread men using a 3-inch cutter; sprinkle with crystal sugar; chill.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm, about 30 minutes.

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Cream the 4 ozs butter with the sugar.
• Combine flour, 1 tsp. ginger, and baking powder; add to the butter mixture.
• Put into a greased shortbread pan (or a 7-8" round or square baking pan) and bake at 325 F (170 C) for about 40 minutes or until done.
• While the shortbread is baking, prepare the icing: melt together the butter, ginger, and golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat until blended and smooth.
• Pour the icing over the hot shortbread and let it cool a little.
• When the icing has cooled a bit, decorate the top with pieces of candied ginger.
• Cut shortbread into shapes (wedges or rectangles).
• Cool completely before removing from pan.
• *Note:You may leave out the candied ginger- some may find it too spicy, especially children.

GINGERED SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9 1/2-inch springform pan.
• In a medium bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer at high speed, beat the butter until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 2 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, rice flour, and ground ginger to make a soft dough. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan. Using the tines of a fork, press around the perimeter of the dough. Prick the dough, reaching down to the bottom of the pan, into 12 wedges.
• Bake until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan. Remove the sides of the pan. Cut or break the shortbread into wedges, following the perforations in the dough. (The shortbread can be prepared up to 5 days ahead, stored in an airtight container at room temperature.)

GINGERED SESAME-ALMOND SHORTBREAD BARK

Steps:

• Brush bottom and sides of a 10-by-15-inch baking pan with softened butter. Line pan with parchment, with a 2-inch overhang on each long side, then brush parchment with more butter. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Place flour, ginger, salt, baking powder, and 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor; pulse to combine. Add cold butter and pulse until dough just comes together. Scatter evenly in pan, then press firmly to flatten. Brush dough with egg white to moisten, then scatter with almonds, sesame seeds, and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in alternating even layers.
• Bake until golden, about 35 minutes. Transfer bark on parchment to a cutting board. Immediately cut into 24 pieces (4 strips on short side, 6 on long side), then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely. Bark can be made 3 days ahead and stored at room temperature.

LEMON & GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2 and grease a 22cm loose-bottomed fluted tart tin. Put the butter in a bowl and beat with a wooden spoon until soft. Beat in the sugar, then stir in the lemon zest and ginger.
• Stir in the flour and work with your hands to form a soft dough. Tip into the tin and press into an even, flat layer with your fingers. Prick all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 40 mins until pale gold. Cut into wedges then leave to cool completely in the tin. Remove from the tin and dust with caster sugar to serve.

LEMON GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325*.
• In large bowl, combine butter and sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
• Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Add flour, ginger and lemon peel; mix well.
• Shape dough into ball; divide into 4 pieces. On ungreased cookie sheets, flatten each piece to 6-inch round; press edges to smooth.
• Bake at 325* for 15 to 25 minutes or until edges are light golden brown. Cool 5 minutes; cut each round layer into 8 wedges; pierce surface with fork if desired. Cool on cookie sheet for 15 minutes or until completely cooled.
• In small bowl, combine powdered sugar and enough lemon juice for desired drizzling consistency; blend until smooth. Place mixture in small resealable food storage plastic bag; seal bag. Cut off small corner of bag. Squeeze glaze onto cooled cookies.