Ginger-Almond Cookies
I love spices like ginger, and though I usually stay away from nuts, I have a soft spot for almonds - at least in marzipan form. When I came across this recipe, I thought it was so incredibly awesome and that I just had to try it out. Well... one thing lead to another and it definitely looks nothing like the original, but it still tastes great. :)
Ginger-Almond Cookies
[based on this recipe]
Yields around 70 cookies
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP of Evaporated Cane Sugar
1 pinch of salt
12 TBSP of Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
Zest of a Lemon
1 tsp to 1 TBSP of Lemon Juice
1 Egg
About 1 cup of Candied Ginger, finely chopped
About 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Almond Paste, grated
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and combine with hands into a dough. Wrap in saran wrap/cling film and rest in the refrigerator for one to two hours*.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F. Roll 1 1/2 tsp-sized pieces of dough into small balls and place them on the baking sheet about an inch apart; they will not expand. Bake for around 10 to 12 minutes, or until barely golden. Do not over-bake.
*Doing so longer may require a slight thawing period for the dough to become workable once more.
COMMENTS/NOTES
The two in the middle are a little more golden, but hey - it's all good. :]
Ginger-Almond Cookies
[based on this recipe]
Yields around 70 cookies
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups of All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup plus 2 TBSP of Evaporated Cane Sugar
1 pinch of salt
12 TBSP of Unsalted Butter, cut into cubes
Zest of a Lemon
1 tsp to 1 TBSP of Lemon Juice
1 Egg
About 1 cup of Candied Ginger, finely chopped
About 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Almond Paste, grated
DIRECTIONS
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and combine with hands into a dough. Wrap in saran wrap/cling film and rest in the refrigerator for one to two hours*.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350F. Roll 1 1/2 tsp-sized pieces of dough into small balls and place them on the baking sheet about an inch apart; they will not expand. Bake for around 10 to 12 minutes, or until barely golden. Do not over-bake.
*Doing so longer may require a slight thawing period for the dough to become workable once more.
COMMENTS/NOTES
- We love ginger, so we added a lot of ginger (read: every piece had at least two chunks). Feel free to tone it down (honestly, I'm not sure if we had exactly 1 cup's worth, but it was a lot).
- The dough crumbled really easy and wouldn't stay together for the saran wrap, so that was when we decided to add other elements (the almond paste and lemon juice as well as 2.5 tablespoons of butter; all are reflected in this). Even then, it crumbled a lot and there were a lot of crumbs that refused to stick together when all the cookies had been rolled. No worries: I quickly rectified that by scooping it into my mouth. :)
- Yes, my version of the recipe became drastically different, resulting in Russian cake-like cookies, minus the powdered sugar, instead of sandwich cookies (and definitely not as attractive). They even taste reminiscent of them, albeit a lot more colorful. I had a cookie right out of the oven (it was delicious and the many pieces of ginger in it had turned into a jam-like consistency and a center that was almost gooey) and one that had rested for thirty minutes (it was equally as good with a slightly crumbling texture). My only complaint was that you could barely taste any lemon or the almonds -- next time, I shall rectify that -- but it still tastes great. But wait - let me try one more tomorrow just to make sure. :)
The two in the middle are a little more golden, but hey - it's all good. :]