Gingered Shortbread

Posted by - Lena

This is my first attempt making a shortbread, i've not tasted a fresh baked ones before..the ones that i've tried are from the supermarket, scottish shortbreads. Though they are not really fresh from the oven, they taste good. But i dont always eat that..the price is a little bit dear to me about RM11 or slightly more that USD3 for one small packet. The reason why i made this is because i just joined in to this baking group, Have The Cake (HTC). Each month, someone will get a chance to suggest a theme and for this month, it's SHORTBREAD. So anyone who might be interested, just check on the link. I happened to know about this group when i read Zoe's post on her macadamia shortbread.

I do not have any recipes on shortbread offhand so i just checked from the internet and i finally decided to make a gingered shortbread. Tender..yeah so tender that i have to carefully transfer it for phototaking and gives a distinctive flavour due to the added ginger powder and the crystallized ginger. I hope i got the texture right, crumbly but tender and they do melt in your mouth!

Ingredients ( recipe from epicurious.com )
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup white rice flour or cornstarch
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 cup ( 2 ounces) finely chopped crytallized ginger

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly butter a 91/2 inch springform pan.
2.In a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer at hogh speed , beat the butter until creamy for about 1 minute.
3.Add the sugar and continue beating until mixture is light in colour and texture , for about 2 mins.
4.Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour, rice flour and ground ginger to make into a soft dough. Stir in the crystallized ginger.
5.Press the dough evenly into the pan. Using the tines of the fork, press around the perimeter of the dough.
6.Prick the dough, reaching down to the bottom of the pan, into 12 wedges.
7. Bake until lightly browned, about 30minutes. Cool completely in pan. Remove the sides of the pan. Cut the shortbread into wedges, following the perforations of the dough.