Here in New York, the weather outside is frightful. The temperatures are a little too low, and the snow is falling a little too early. I’m all for walking in a winter wonderland in theory, but when the reality of it actually comes around, it is hard to remember that this is, in fact, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. It has been my experience in recent years, though, that when the weather gets cold, the cold get baking. And when the entire apartment smells like sugar and spice, I say let it snow.
Christmas parties are, for some, an excuse for unadulterated eggnog consumption and the shameless donning of ugly sweaters and holiday-themed jewelery. Christmas parties are, for me, an excuse to bake cookies three days in a row. Day 1 brought what was by far my most ambitious undertaking. Bon Appetit‘s December issue had a good spread of holiday cookies, but the Coffee-Spice Shortbread with Crystallized Ginger had been calling my name for weeks.
See, ginger and I have an interesting relationship. As someone whose favorite flavor profiles are spicy and sweet–though not in that order, as the recipe index of this blog indicates–ginger is an obvious favorite. My mother, however, is allergic to the stuff, and thus my adventures with ginger are a fairly recent development, having never had much access to it as a kid. Thus, ginger is simultaneously my Holy Grail and my Forbidden Fruit, a double-threat classification that most other 22-year-olds would reserve for things more exciting (and quite possibly more illegal).
The end result was a hard, crunchy, spicy cookie that looked impressively (shockingly) similar to the picture in the magazine. They were ever so slightly bitter as a result of the ground coffee beans, and all of the flavors were cut nicely by the simple vanilla-powdered-sugar-and-water glaze. Next time, I would chop the crystallized ginger into smaller pieces and perhaps use twice as much; and, considering how much I’ve already told you I love ginger, perhaps you should consider doing the same. Otherwise, though, they were pretty fabulous, and (so I’m told) quite the conversation piece at the Christmas party that my parents brought them to.
So, forget the chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Forget the jack frost nipping at your nose. Take this as an excuse to spend this evening (or this afternoon, even) baking cookies at home, in pajamas, drinking tea and listening to Christmas music. Because, baby, it’s cold outside.
COFFEE SPICE SHORTBREAD WITH CRYSTALLIZED GINGER (makes 24 shortbread cookies)
From Bon Appetit, December 2010. Original recipe here.
For the shortbread:
2 C all purpose flour
3/4 C packed dark brown sugar
2 T plus 2 t ground coffee beans (I used hazelnut flavored coffee beans)
2 t ground ginger
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
1 t ground cardamom
1/2 t salt
1 C unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
For the glaze and garnish:
1/2 C powdered sugar
2 t water
1 t pure vanilla extract
6 T chopped crystallized ginger (next time, I would only use 3 T)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit, with one rack in the bottom third and one rack in the top third of the oven. Set aside two baking pans with removable bottoms (the original recipe called for two 9-inch-diameter tart pans, and in lieu of these I used one 9-inch-diameter springform pan, and one 8 x 8 square pan with a removable bottom).
In a food processor, mix flour, brown sugar, coffee, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Process for a few seconds, just until combined. Add cubes of butter, one by one, processing for a second or two after each addition. When dough is still clumpy but moist and uniform throughout, remove from food processor and divide into two equal pieces. Press each piece into one of your baking pans, making sure dough is tightly packed and spread evenly.
Bake 25 minutes, one pan on each oven rack. Switch the pans on the racks, and bake for another 20 minutes or so, until shortbread is golden but still soft. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove pan sides and, keeping the shortbread on the pan bottoms cut each into 12 triangular pieces (for 24 pieces total). Cool completely.
For glaze, mix sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and water in a small bowl, adding more water (a few drops at a time) if necessary. Pour glaze on shortbread and spread with a spatula or wooden spoon, leaving about a half an inch around the border (shortbread should still be on your pan bottoms). Sprinkle on chopped, crystallized ginger and allow to sit for at least another hour, until glaze is fully set. Separate pieces and serve, or store in the freezer or refrigerator.
Lamb with rosemary (a Jamie Oliver recipe)
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Roasted carrots, parsnips, and garlic
