Ginger Shortbread

Excerpt from Holiday Sweets with Exotic Herbs

originally published in the Nov/Dec '15 Essential Herbal Magazine

by Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh www.backyardpatch.blogspot.com

Gingerbread seems to be a staple of the holiday, but it is not one of my favorite things.  In fact I do not even like making gingerbread houses!  I know sacrilegious, but I do like ginger and I love this great recipe for shortbread that uses crystallized ginger that will bring the flavor of the holiday to a traditional tea treat.

Ginger Shortbread

3 ½ C flour, plus extra for dusting while rolling dough

1 t ground ginger

½ t salt

12 T butter

½ C confectioners sugar

3 rounded T slightly crystallized honey

¾ C crystallized ginger, finely chopped

Sift together the flour, ground ginger, and salt.  Rub in the butter and stir in the sugar.  Mix in the honey and chopped crystallized ginger and form into stiff dough.  Knead lightly in the bowl. 

Halve the dough and roll out each piece on a lightly floured board to make an 8-inch circle.  Score wedges into the shortbread with a sharp knife and prick the top with a fork. 
Bake at 325 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp and golden around the edges.  Sprinkle with a bit of confectioners sugar and leave to cool slightly before breaking apart and allowing to cool completely.