Fresh ginger + crystallized ginger
Two kinds of ginger make these cookies irresistibly delicious – – – fresh ginger and crystallized ginger come to this party.
Some like to eat ginger for its health benefits, proclaiming that it cures everything from nausea to sore throats.
But, I adore it for its alluring flavors – its pleasant peppery bite balanced with a subtle-sweet finish.
Cut into these knobby rhizomes and take in the spicy perfume.
These Double Dose cookies are always a hit. The recipe is from my second cookbook, “Melissa’s Everyday Cooking with Organic Produce” (Wiley, $29.95).
When I was invited to speak at The James Beard House in New York City many years ago, I served these cookies along with Pixie tangerines. They disappeared in minutes.
Here’s the recipe …
Double Dose Ginger Cookies
Yield: about 32 cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger, peeled or unpeeled
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 ounces crystallized ginger, chopped into 1/8-inch pieces
Optional garnish: powdered sugar or melted coating chocolate
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt on medium-high speed until thoroughly blended and creamy, scraping down sides of bowl as needed with rubber spatula. Add eggs; mix well until blended. Add vanilla and fresh ginger, mix well until blended.
- In separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda; stir with whisk. Add to butter mixture; mix until blended. Add crystallized ginger and mix until blended. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough 2 inches apart on parchment lined sheets. I use a small (2-tablespoon) ice cream scoop to form cookies, filling it not-quite full – so I get fewer cookies – about 28 total. The process goes faster with the scoop, but cookies most often require an additional minute or two of baking.
- Flatten using back of spoon or clean hand to a 3/8-inch thickness. Bake 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer parchment to cooling racks; cool completely. If desired, dust cookies lightly with powdered sugar. To get a fine powdery layer atop the cookies, place powdered sugar in sieve and shake sieve over single layer of cookies. Or dip half of each cookie in melted coating chocolate and allow to dry in single layer on parchment paper or waxed paper.
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