Ginger Lemon Snaps with Ginger Glaze

Ginger and lemon are best mates, as the lovely Jamie Oliver would say. The warmth of the fresh ginger is enhanced in this pretty cookie by the addition of bits of crystallized ginger and a bitey ginger glaze on top and brightened beautifully by the sharp fresh lemon juice and zest.

Ginger Lemon Snaps with Ginger Glaze - Click here to print recipe

Ingredients
For two and a half dozen cookies:
3 1/2 cups or 440g flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Zest of one medium lemon
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 small knob fresh ginger (about 1 oz or 15g after peeling)
1/3 cup or 75g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup or 200g light brown sugar
2 eggs

For decorating: About 2 oz or 60g crystallized ginger plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar to separate the sticky bits when chopped

For the ginger glaze:
2/3 cup or about 85g powdered sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch salt
1 1/2 - 3 teaspoons milk

Method
Preheat oven to 375°F or 190°C and prepare your baking pan by greasing lightly or lining with parchment paper. A dab of butter or a quick shot of non-stick spray under the paper will keep it from sliding around on the pan.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine your flour, baking powder, soda, salt and lemon zest.  Set aside.

Chop your crystallized ginger into little bits and put them in a small bowl with the 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar. Rub the ginger and sugar between your fingers until all the bits are coated with the sugar and no longer stick together. Set aside.

Peel and grate your fresh ginger.

With electric beaters or in your stand mixer, beat the sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. This takes just a couple of minutes.

Add in the eggs and beat again. 

Your grated ginger and lemon juice should go in now. Beat again for just a few seconds. 

Add the flour mixture in TWO lots, mixing well in between.

Scoop one tablespoon of dough out onto your prepared cookie sheet for each cookie. If you are using an actual tablespoon, you can roll them into balls and then flatten them for a more uniform appearance.

Sprinkle the top of each dough disk with crystallized ginger bits and sugar.  Press them down a little bit into the dough to stop them falling off after baking. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are golden on the bottom and set on top. 

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in the pan and them put them on a wire rack to cool completely.  

Meanwhile, make your glaze by combining the powdered sugar, ground ginger and the pinch of salt.  Add milk a tiny bit at a time, stirring very well in between, until you reach drizzling consistency.  You may not use all the milk. 

I like to use a piping bag for more uniform drizzling of glaze but you can also put your glaze in a plastic bag and cut off one tiny corner for the same effect.  When the cookies are completely cool, drizzle on the glaze.

Enjoy! 

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