If you like an intense gingery taste, consider trying these two recipes. I haven’t had a chance to make them yet, but have it on excellent authority they are wonderful.
INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg
2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
INSTRUCTIONS: Cream the butter and brown sugar in a large mixer bowl. Beat in the molasses and then the egg.
Sift the flour, ground ginger, baking soda and salt together. Stir into the butter mixture with a wooden spoon until blended. Add the fresh and crystallized gingers and stir until well mixed. Refrigerate the dough, covered, at least 2 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and place about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheets. Bake until browned, about 10 minutes.
Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Yields 3 1/2 to 4 dozen cookies.
PER COOKIE: 70 calories, 1 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 3 g fat (2 g saturated), 12 mg cholesterol, 61 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.
Source: From the “Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook,” by Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins and Sarah Leah Chase.
GINGER MOONS
From Barbara Tropp’s China Moon Cookbook.
INGREDIENTS:
4 ounces (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup + 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch fine sea salt
1/4 cup finely diced crystallized ginger
INSTRUCTIONS: Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the minced and powdered gingers, the vanilla, flour, baking soda and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together. Turn out on a lightly floured board, gather into a ball and flatten slightly.
Lightly flour a large piece of parchment paper. Place the dough in the center and roll out with a floured rolling pin to 1/8-inch thickness. Cover and refrigerate dough until firm, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; line large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using half the edge of a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out crescents about 3/4 inch thick at widest point. Press a tiny piece of crystallized ginger near one tapered end. One cookie sheet at a time, bake on the middle rack of the oven until the edges are lightly golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool cookies on baking sheets set on wire racks.
Makes 7 dozen moon cookies.
PER COOKIE: 20 calories, 0 g protein, 3 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat (1 g saturated), 3 mg cholesterol, 6 mg sodium, 0 g fiber.