In case you're not seeing the trend, I like baked goods. They're a great treat and easy to share, preventing me from eating every last one myself. Which... I would do since my husband isn't all that into sweets. I actually made this batch for an event my mom has organized for Friday night. I sure hope they like 'em!
These turned out surprisingly tasty! I was definitely intrigued by the recipe, a bit skeptical and was happy with the results. They are some what of a cross between a ginger snap and a sugar cookie. Although, I'm sure you already picked up on that from the name.
Anyway, this recipe came from my Food & Wine magazine. I've had the page in my clippings recipe binder for some time and I'm glad I've finally gotten around to making them. They are pretty easy to make and roll out, even with my high end blue plastic rolling pin (Target $1 bins!). You do need to watch them carefully while they are baking since they tend to brown really quick once they start. The original recipe called for 20 minutes, but I backed it down to 16-18 minutes. I'd still suggest keeping an eye on them.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 sticks ( 1/2 pound) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the ground ginger, baking soda and salt. In a standing electric mixer fitted with a paddle, or using a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk and vanilla, scraping the side and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the dry ingredients at medium-low speed. Divide the dough in half. Pat each half into a round, wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Position the racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of dough 1/8-inch thick. Using a 2-inch biscuit cutter, stamp out rounds as close together as possible. Arrange the rounds on large baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Gather the scraps and reroll, cutting out more cookies.
- Bake the cookies in batches for about 16-18 minutes, until golden; shift the pans from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely.
I think what really spurred this was the discovery of the Pink Penguin blog. Seriously, the girl can sew! Plus, her style is totally what I like. I love the vintage, retro look and feel, as well as handmade items that don't look TOO handmade. The way I actually stumbled across her blog was through a newsletter I receive from Photojojo. They sent the link for making this cute camera bag.
Anyway, she has a great tutorial that I was finally able to use this week. I, of course, had to scour eBay for a good deal on cute fabric, wait for it and then find time to make it. I have to say I'm proud of my buttonhole and shaping the corners of the bias tape. I love it and have already received nice compliments on it (not that I was showing it off). And naturally, it's pink.
PS I'm baking some Ginger Sugar Cookies right now. If they turn out, I'll share the recipe here.