Friday, August 27, 2010

Ginger and White Chocolate Shortbread

Shortbread is one of my favorite sweets. With a basic recipe and some creativity there can be infinite variant of this treat.

The flavor of lemon zest and ginger are perfectly combined with the withe chocolate to give this cookie an irresistible, sophisticated flavor.

Ingredients:

  • 1/3 cup of sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup of butter or vegetable substitute* (softened, cubed, unsalted)
  • 1/4 tsp of pure vanilla extract (avoid vanilla flavor)
  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tbsp of grated fresh ginger (more or less, to taste)
  • 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup of crystallized ginger (chopped)
  • 1 tsp of lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup of powdered sugar (optional, to garnish)
* Use a little less if you use a substitute such as this. If you want to reduce the amount of fat prepare some ice-water and, after adding the butter to the flour, add the chilled water a tbsp at a time, until the dough comes together.
    Preparation:
    • Combine flour, sugar and salt to form a fountain on the counter. Add butter and pinch the butter to incorporate the flour until dough resembles coarse meal. 
    •  
    • Then add vanilla, ginger (both fresh and crystallized) and chocolate chips and mix delicately until well combined. Do no knead the dough to much to avoid gummy texture. 
    •  
    • Form a ball with the dough, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

    • Transfer the dough to the counter and roll it about 1/2 inch thick. Use a small glass, a cookie cutter or simply a knife to cut about 24 cookies. The knife is really easy and fast and could shape your cookies in geometric forms such as squares or diamonds.

    • Place the cookies in a buttered and floured pan and bake at 250°F in a preheated oven. Let the cookies cool on a rack and sprinkle them with powdered sugar, if you want.


      Heart and Soul

      11 comments:

      Heather S-G said...

      Oh, I love shortbread, too!! I can just imagine the double decadence with the addition of ginger and white chocolate! Thank you for sharing this with the hearth and soul hop this week =)

      Melynda@Scratch Made Food! said...

      Shortbread is great, and I think coming back in vogue. I adore white chocolate, these look delicious.

      a moderate life said...

      Matilda! So glad you came today to link up to the hearth and soul hop! Welcome my friend! I adore shortbread, as my mother is english and we also have some scottish relatives. Walkers is a christmas treat for us. This is definitely a recipe I will bookmark and try for the holidays1 Thanks again for joining the hearth and soul hop! :) Alex@amoderatelife

      Matilda said...

      Thanks everybody! I love shortbread too... It is one of the first things my mom thought me when I was little and I have so many memories of eating "crostata" in the house where I grown up!

      ~Alex, it was my pleasure to bring my recipe there. I love it!

      Christy said...

      This shortbread is irresistible! A great homemade treat - with the ginger and white chocolate - delish! Thanks for sharing this with us at the hearth and soul hop!

      Miz Helen said...

      I love your recipe with Ginger and White Chocolate. This will be a good cookie for my afternoon tea.
      Thank you...

      April@The 21st Century Housewife said...

      Shortbread and white chocolate and ginger - oh my! What a lovely, lovely combination! Thank you for sharing your recipe.

      Hunger and Thirst said...

      I saw a gorgeous little iron shortbread pan the other day at the resto supply store, and I wanted to buy it just so that I'd have an excuse to make shortbread. Thanks for linking up with the Hearth and Soul hop!

      Couscous & Consciousness said...

      Ginger, lemon and white chocolate sounds like my idea of heaven - I need to try this.
      Sue

      Lisa said...

      Yum, lemon zest, ginger, and white chocolate would be my idea of a perfect combination.

      Sue said...

      Your variation of shortbread sounds delicious. The cookies look like the perfect shortbread...flaky, "melt in your mouth" perfection:)