I’ve got the urge to get back into the kitchen to bake something, every day. On Tuesday, I got to thinking about the Pistachio Shortbread Cookies from Leslie Mackie that I made last year. This recipe was posted on Leite’s Culinaria.
I found myself imagining a light and buttery shortbread with nice little pieces of crystalized ginger and hazelnuts, a nut to love.
Here is my new little cookie, perfect for a rainy day with a cup of tea:
HAZELNUT AND GINGER SHORTBREAD – adapted from Leslie Mackie’s Pistachio Shortbread
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup toasted hazelnuts
1/2 cup crystalized ginger, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4″ cubes
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 -2 tblsp granulated, sanding or muscavado sugar
In the bowl of food processor combine flour, sugar, salt, and ginger. Add the hazelnuts and pulse a couple of times to begin chopping them. Add the crystalized ginger, butter and almond extract. Pulse just until pieces of the dough begin to hold together and the hazelnuts are broken into little pieces. Remove the mixture to a 12″ piece of plastic wrap. Using your hands, bring the dough together and form into a log, about 9″ long. Refrigerate for 2 hours to 5 days. Preheat oven to 325F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the plastic wrap and , using a very sharp knife, cut into 1/2″ disks and place onto the baking sheets. Brush lightly with water and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown on both tops and bottoms. Remove from oven and cool on sheets for 5 minutes. Cool completely.
Have a nice day, even if it is raining.