Candied Ginger Shortbread Recipes

GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and 1 cup of sugar on medium-low speed, just until they are combined. (Don¿t whip!) Add the vanilla and 2 teaspoons water and mix until combined. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until the dough starts to come together. Add the ginger, then dump onto a surface generously dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
• Roll the dough 3/8 inch thick and cut circles with a 2 3/4-inch plain round cookie cutter. Place the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges start to brown.
• Cool to room temperature and serve.

CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and set it in a half sheet pan lined with parchment.
• Peel the ginger root and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices using a mandoline. Place into a 4-quart saucepan with the water and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.
• Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar. Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated and begins to recrystallize, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer the ginger immediately to the cooling rack and spread to separate the individual pieces. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Save the sugar that drops beneath the cooling rack and use to top ginger snaps, sprinkled over ice cream or to sweeten coffee.

SPICY GINGER SHORTBREADS

Steps:

• In large bowl, beat butter, granulated sugar, lemon peel and egg yolk with electric mixer on medium speed. Stir in 1 1/4 cups flour and the five-spice powder until dough holds together. Stir in ginger and pecans.
• Place dough on smooth surface sprinkled with 1 tablespoon flour. Divide dough in half. Shape each half into 6-inch log. Wrap in plastic wrap; refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease cookie sheet with shortening or cooking spray, or line with cooking parchment paper or silicone baking mat. Cut dough into 1/4-inch slices. Place 1 inch apart on cookie sheet.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• In small microwavable bowl, microwave baking chips uncovered on High 30 to 60 seconds, stirring once, until softened and chips can be stirred smooth. Stir in powdered sugar and water. Add additional water, if needed, to achieve glaze consistency. Drizzle glaze over cookies. Let stand until set.

CURRANT-GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• In a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar at medium speed until light and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add flour, salt, currants and ginger, and mix until well blended, about 3 minutes. Gather dough into a ball and flatten slightly.
• Lightly flour a piece of parchment paper (or use nonstick baking mat). Place dough on paper or mat and roll out into a 10-inch square, an even 1/4-inch thick. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
• Position an oven rack in center of oven. Heat to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Using a sharp knife, cut dough into 10 1-inch-wide strips (if using mat, remove dough to a cutting surface first). Cut each strip into 1 1/2-inch-long rectangles. Gather and roll out scraps and cut out more cookies. (Triangles or cookie cutter shapes can be made as an alternative to rectangles.)
• One sheet at a time, bake until edges are lightly golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on sheets 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely before storing in airtight containers up to 1 week.

CANDIED GINGER SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Butter an 8 1/2-inch cake or springform pan; set aside. Sift 2 teaspoons ground ginger and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper with the 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 1/2 cup finely chopped candied ginger to the creamed butter-and-sugar mixture before adding the flour mixture. 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 the dough into pan or pans. Sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped ginger and 1 tablespoon crystal sugar over each pan before baking.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Bake until firm and just starting to color, 30 to 40 minutes.

CANDIED GINGER SHORTBREAD WEDGES

Steps:

• Prepare basic shortbread, sifting ground ginger and white pepper with the flour and salt. Add 1/2 cup crystallized ginger to creamed butter mixture before adding flour mixture. At the end of step 2, sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger and sanding sugar. Bake until firm and just starting to color, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into wedges. Cookies will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1 week.

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.)

GINGER SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, ground ginger, baking powder and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in walnuts and crystallized ginger., Shape into two 10-in. rolls; wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours or until firm. Cut into 1/4-in. slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets., Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

CANDIED GINGER - CARDAMOM BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 deg F.
• Grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
• Ok here is the hardest part -- finely chop crystallized ginger and set aside.
• In a food processor add flour, sugar, cardamom, cinnamon, and salt. Pulse to combine.
• Cut butter into half in cubes.
• Add butter to processor and mix into a coarse meal forms.
• Beat egg and add 2 tablespoons to processor and mix until a moist crumbs form.
• Add ginger and blend until moist clumps form.
• Press dough into pan.
• Brush the rest of the egg over the top.
• Bake 40 minutes.
• Transfer to rack and let cool completely in pan.
• Cut into 18 pieces.

CANDIED GINGER SHORTBREAD HEARTS

Steps:

• In a bowl with an electric mixer cream together the butter, the brown sugar, and the ground ginger until the mixture is light and fluffy and add the flour and the salt. Beat the dough until it is just combined and beat in the candied ginger. Halve the dough, roll out each half 1/4 inch thick between sheets of wax paper, and freeze the dough on baking sheets for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is very firm. Working with half the dough at a time, remove the top sheets of wax paper and cut out cookies with a 2 1/4-inch heart-shaped cutter. (The dough should be cold so that the cookies retain their shape.) Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on the baking sheets, bake them in batches in the middle of a preheated 300°F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until they are pale golden, and transfer them to a rack. Gather the scraps, reroll the dough, and make more cookies in the same manner. Let the cookies cool completely and sprinkle them with the confectioners' sugar, sifted. The cookies keep in an airtight container for 5 days.