Ginger Crunch Shortcake Recipes

CONGRESBURY GINGER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9-inch cake pan or springform pan.
• Cream the 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup white sugar until smooth. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon ground ginger. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar and stir until combined, forming a stiff dough.
• Pat the dough into the prepared pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the shortcake is firm and pale golden on top. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for ten minutes, and then remove it from the pan and let it cool on a wire rack.
• Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Combine the confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup butter, golden syrup and 1 teaspoon ginger in a saucepan; heat over medium-low heat until the butter and sugar have melted. Pour the warm glaze over the shortcake and refrigerate the cake to set the glaze. When cool, cut the cake into 8 wedges.

GINGER STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

Steps:

• Make the biscuits: Beat the cream cheese, butter, granulated sugar, grated ginger and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy; reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour and candied ginger until just incorporated. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic wrap; press into a 1-inch-thick disk, tightly wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour or overnight. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10-inch circle, about 1/2 inch thick. Use a 2 1/2-inch biscuit cutter to cut out rounds; arrange about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet. Reroll the scraps and cut out more biscuits (you should have 12). Brush the tops lightly with the heavy cream and sprinkle with the demerara sugar. Refrigerate until firm, about 20 minutes. Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Bake the biscuits until slightly puffed and golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then remove to a rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the toppings: Puree half of the strawberries in a blender with 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the grated ginger until smooth; transfer to a bowl. Dice the remaining strawberries; add to the pureed berries and toss. Beat the sour cream, heavy cream and the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Serve each person 2 biscuits with the whipped cream and strawberry mixture. Photograph by Anna Williams

ICED GINGER SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 20cm square baking tray. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Sift in the flour and ginger, then mix together with a knife. Using lightly floured hands, bring the mixture together to form a dough, then spread it into the greased baking tray. Bake for 30 mins until golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly.
• For the icing, melt the butter and syrup in a pan. Remove from the heat, sift in the icing sugar and ginger, then mix until smooth and glossy. Cool until almost cold and beat well again. Spread the icing over the shortcake using a palette knife, decorate with chopped crystallised ginger and serve cut into slices.

GINGER CRUNCH

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
• Using a mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and sugar.
• Add sifted flour, ground ginger and baking powder and mix well until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs- you can do this with your fingers if you like, but I do it in the food processor.
• If using a food processor, scrape down sides once or twice to ensure all butter is mixed in with the flour.
• Tip mixture into a well-greased shallow sided baking tin measuring approximately 27cm x 17cm (10 1/2" x 6 1/2") or a 20cm (8") square.
• Using your fingers or the back of a fork, spread mixture evenly then press down lightly until just firm.
• Don't press too hard or the mixture will set like concrete.
• Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• During the last few minutes of baking, combine all the icing (frosting) ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Remove the biscuit base from the oven and immediately pour hot icing mixture as evenly as possible over the base.
• Use a bread knife to spread the icing evenly over the base.
• Now, cut the pieces of crystallised ginger in half and space them out evenly on top.
• Slice into approximately 20 squares while still warm.
• Remove baking tin when cool and store in an airtight tin.

GINGER CRUNCH CAKE WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease three 8- by 2-inch cake pans.
• For crunch topping:
• In a small bowl combine crunch topping ingredients, stirring until combined. Divide topping among pans and press evenly onto bottom.
• For ginger cake:
• In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, and salt. Add remaining ginger cake ingredients and with an electric mixer beat on high speed 2 minutes. Carefully spread batter over crunch topping in pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of pans in oven halfway through baking, 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center of each layer comes out clean.
• Immediately invert cake layers onto racks lined with wax paper and cool completely. Cake layers may be made 2 weeks ahead and frozen, wrapped separately in plastic wrap. Thaw layers in refrigerator before proceeding with recipe.
• In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters of an electric mixer beat 2 cups cream with vanilla and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Cake Assembly:
• Arrange 1 cake layer, crunch side up, on a cake plate and spread with a heaping cup whipped cream. Repeat with another cake layer and another heaping cup whipped cream and top with third cake layer, crunch side up. Leaving top plain, spread remaining whipped cream on side of cake to coat (a final coating will be added later). Chill cake, covered loosely with plastic wrap, at least 4 hours (to facilitate slicing) and up to 24.
• Hull strawberries and slice half of them. In a bowl with a potato masher mash sliced berries with lemon juice and remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. In a food processor purée remaining berries and strain through a fine sieve into bowl with mashed berry mixture. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters of an electric mixer, beat remaining cup cream until it just holds stiff peaks and spread decoratively on side of cake. Arrange some whole strawberries on top of cake and garnish plate with additional whole strawberries.
• Serve cake with strawberry sauce.

GINGER-PEACH SHORTCAKE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine peach slices and 1/4 cup sugar; cover and refrigerate. Line a greased 9-in. square baking pan with waxed paper; set aside. For topping, combine flour and brown sugar in a small bowl; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in ginger if desired; set aside., For shortcake, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, milk and vanilla; stir into crumb mixture just until moistened. Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle with reserved topping., Bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan. Gently peel off waxed paper. Cool crumb side up on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature., Just before serving, beat cream in a small mixing bowl until it begins to thicken. Add confectioners' sugar; beat until soft peaks form. Cut cake into nine squares. Split each square horizontally. Place bottom half on serving plate; top with 1/4 cup peach slices. Top with top of shortcake, peaches and whipped cream.