I must apologize for the lack of recipes this month. I spent the holidays in France with my family which was as a great, relaxing break. Cooking, however, is not something that I find myself taking much of a break from, but it was harder to document it, without the time or equipment. I’ve come back to Montreal full of ideas, and ready to try out some new things.. so be prepared for a few France-inspired recipes in the months to come!
Every time I’m able to go back home, I am reminded of just how much France has shaped my love of food. The cured meats, the cheeses, the salts, the olives oils are all the wonderful beginnings to the perfect meal… and when the start product is so good, it’s hard to be disappointed with the end result.
This recipe was inspired by a new cookbook I got that’s all about ginger. Ginger is one of those strong and pungent flavors that can really add something special to a recipe. It’s a great staple of any stir-fry of course, but also works wonders with desserts. After reading about ginger, I had to get into the kitchen.. so here is the start of my ginger adventure. I tested recipes and came up with my own version of simple, cakey ginger cookies.
Ginger Cookies
Recipe (makes 25-30 cookies)
1 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of molasses
2 tsp of fresh grated ginger
1 egg
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1/2 tsp of cinnamon
1 1/4 tsp of baking soda
1 1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of diced crystallized ginger
2 tbs of granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 325 F. In a bowl, combine the softened butter and brown sugar. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture until light and fluffy (2 minutes). Add the molasses, fresh ginger, and vanilla and beat until just combined. Add the egg and beat until just combined.
In a separate bowl, add the flour, cinnamon and baking soda and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, lightly beating until the mixture is homogeneous. Fold in the crystallized ginger. Form the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Once the dough has chilled, form 1 inch balls, roll them in sugar and set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes. Leave to cook on a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Enjoy the read!
Mary
August 31, 2009 at 5:28 pm (15 years ago)Welcome back! You’ve returned with a bang. Your cookies sound absolutely wonderful and your photo is beautiful.
Jennifer
August 31, 2009 at 6:30 pm (15 years ago)What a lovely trip to France! Someday I must go!! These cookies look and sound great!
Liska
September 1, 2009 at 6:18 am (15 years ago)Beautiful picture and very tempting recipe 🙂
My Carolina Kitchen
September 1, 2009 at 8:18 am (15 years ago)Welcome back. Who wouldn’t love to go to France. I always come back inspired too. Great ginger cookies.
Sam
VeggieGirl
September 1, 2009 at 8:56 am (15 years ago)So glad to see you posting again!!
Dana
September 1, 2009 at 11:17 am (15 years ago)Nice to have you back. I’m jealous of your month in France – sounds like heaven to me. A cookbook all about ginger? Sounds awesome!
Josipa
September 1, 2009 at 2:05 pm (15 years ago)these cookies are so delicious and your photos are breathtaking 🙂
cindy*
September 1, 2009 at 2:06 pm (15 years ago)ah, i dream of france 😉 these cookies look amazing. i love ginger and i love a cakey cookie!
oneshotbeyond
September 1, 2009 at 2:30 pm (15 years ago)these cookies could get very addicting I imagine. 🙂
Veggie Belly
September 1, 2009 at 3:52 pm (15 years ago)Your photo is simply beautiful..
MaryBeth
September 1, 2009 at 9:30 pm (15 years ago)What a simply perfect looking picture, everything you touch turns out fabulous.
Alejandra
September 1, 2009 at 11:19 pm (15 years ago)I adore ginger in all its forms. My favorite is a nightly mug of warm ginger tea (freshly brewed from the root) with a bit of cream, sugar, and nutmeg. I think these cookies would go perfectly with it!
diva
September 2, 2009 at 11:30 am (15 years ago)i adore ginger. something bout its flavour that i’m hooked on 😉 beautiful cookies!
Carolyn Jung
September 2, 2009 at 9:02 pm (15 years ago)Can I ask which cookbook this was inspired from? I am a fiend for ginger, so if there’s a cookbook all about ginger, I’m dying to know. 😉
Hannah
September 2, 2009 at 10:05 pm (15 years ago)Nothing can beat a good, soft ginger cookie! So perfect for the incoming fall too, I’ve definitely got to make a batch of these soon.
Lucy
September 6, 2009 at 2:27 pm (15 years ago)I love the flavours of ginger, so a whole book full of recipes with it sounds great! These cookies look dangerously addictive 🙂
Y
September 7, 2009 at 4:32 am (15 years ago)A holiday in France sounds like it would do anyone good! 🙂 Great looking ginger cookies – I’m a sucker for anything gingery.
Anonymous
October 10, 2009 at 4:03 am (15 years ago)can these be made into gingerbreadman? 😀