Ginger Crunch Recipe

I have never been so ho hum about Christmas. The spirit has not caught me yet.. I still have a few days. I will start my baking soon. I started transforming my messy loom room back into Megan's bedroom today, I am almost there. A quick vacuum and a dusting, clean bedding and we are all set. She will arrive home late tomorrow night. I will tackle Thomas's room next .. seeing he was just home a month ago, his is not as big of a job.

My cookie recipe for today, a square, a simple little square. The recipe is also from Gourmet, I am a Gourmet magazine kind of girl! Gourmet December 1999. The recipe is called "Skibo Castle Ginger Crunch."

Ginger Crunch

For Shortbread Base

1 1/4 cups flour

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground ginger

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick butter, cut into pieces

For Topping

3/4 stick butter

1 tbsp. golden syrup (or corn syrup)

1 cup icing sugar

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13" x 9" baking pan.

Make shortbread base:

Sift together dry ingredients and blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press evenly into bottom of pan (base will be thin). Bake in the middle of oven until golden and crisp, about 20 to 25 minutes.

Make topping just before shortbread is done:

Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in remaining ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds.

Pour topping:

Remove shortbread from oven and pour topping over, tilting pan to cover shortbread evenly. Cool in pan on a rack, then cut into small rectangles (8 rows lengthwise and 8 crosswise).

Makes about 5 dozen.

Enjoy!