Description
Ina Garten’s ginger shortbread delights taste buds with its perfect balance of spice and sweetness. Crisp, buttery cookies offer a sophisticated twist on classic shortbread that will leave guests craving more.
Ingredients
Scale
- ¾ pound (340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) sugar
- 3 ½ cups (438 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup minced crystallized ginger (dried, not in syrup)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Creaming: Whip butter and sugar in an electric mixer until luxuriously smooth and pale, then blend in vanilla extract for enhanced flavor complexity.
- Dry Ingredient Preparation: Sift flour and salt together, eliminating potential lumps and creating a uniform dry mixture.
- Dough Formation: Gently fold dry ingredients into butter mixture, creating a cohesive dough. Fold crystallized ginger throughout, ensuring even distribution of the spicy element.
- Rolling and Cutting: Dust work surface with flour. Roll dough to precise 1/4-inch thickness, using steady, even pressure. Punch out uniform circular shapes with a cookie cutter.
- Sugar Embellishment: Delicately sprinkle granulated sugar across cookie surfaces, creating a subtle, crystalline glaze.
- Baking Process: Slide baking sheet into a preheated 350°F oven. Bake 20-25 minutes until edges transform into a delicate golden hue, signaling perfect doneness.
- Cooling Technique: Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack, permitting complete cooling and texture stabilization.
Notes
- Butter Temperature Matters: Ensure butter is softened but not melted for the perfect creamy texture, allowing smooth mixing with sugar.
- Ginger Distribution Technique: Finely mince crystallized ginger to spread flavor evenly, preventing large chunks in each bite.
- Rolling Precision Tip: Use consistent pressure when rolling dough to maintain uniform cookie thickness, ensuring even baking.
- Sugar Sprinkle Trick: Dust granulated sugar before baking for a delicate, sparkling finish that adds subtle crunch and sweetness.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 24
- Calories: 160
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 10 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg