Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Double Ginger Crackles

These tender cookies have become a favorite of mine!  They have a nice, warm ginger flavor with the tenderness and richness of butter.  Our family very much enjoyed them as a complement to the Korean Style Pork with Asian Slaw and then for days to come.   I watched them closely in the oven as they turned from a light golden brown to a bit overdone in a flash.  Removed at the proper moment, they are lightly browned on the bottom with a slightly firm bite that will melt in your mouth.  
Ginger is not high on my daughter Olivia's list and we all laughed after her first bite when promptly proclaimed "These cookies have too much taste for me".   The rest of the family enjoyed the flavorful treats with delight!
 
Double Ginger Crackles
adapted from Fine Cooking - December '05
10 oz. (2-1/4 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. table salt
6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/4 cup molasses
3 Tbs. finely chopped crystallized ginger

Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment or nonstick baking liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, ground ginger, baking soda, and salt. In a large bowl, beat the butter and 1 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer (a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a hand-held) on medium-high speed until well blended. Add the egg, molasses, and crystallized ginger; beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until well blended.

Pour the remaining 1/3 cup sugar into a shallow bowl. Using a 1-Tbs. cookie scoop, a small ice cream scoop, or two tablespoons, shape the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll each ball in the sugar to coat. Set the balls 1-1/2 to 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through baking, until the cookies are puffed and the bottoms are lightly browned, 12 to 14 min. If you touch a cookie, it should feel dry on the surface but soft inside. The surface cracks will look a bit wet. Let the cookies sit on the cookie sheet for 5 min. and then transfer them to a rack to cool completely. When cool, store in airtight containers.

Ginger flavor intensifies with time, making these cookies excellent candidates for long keeping. When stored in an airtight container, the cookies remain impressively delicious for up to five days from baking. Well wrapped, the cookies will keep for several weeks in the freezer.
From Fine Cooking 75, pp. 45
December 1, 2005

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