Fairy Gingerbread Wafers
Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup plus 1 Tablespoon packed light brown sugar
4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Prepare 2 large flat cookie sheets. Turn them upside down and spritz the bottoms with a bit of non-fat cooking spray. Tear off a couple of sheets of parchment paper, at least 15 inches by 12 inches in size. Press these onto the cooking spray and set aside. (You will be baking on the cookie sheets upside down.)
Add the ground ginger to a small skillet. Heat over medium heat until it becomes very fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir together with the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the fresh ginger.
Stir together the milk and flavorings. Add the milk to the creamed mixture alternately with the flour mixture, making 3 dry additions and 2 wet.
Divide the batter in half and using a pastry scraper or a small offset spatula, spread it out onto the prepared baking sheet to cover the parchment. The batter will be very thin. It may seem a bit awkward, but it is well worth the extra time it takes to get it right.
Bake, one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack, until deep golden brown, for 16 to 20 minutes. Turn the sheet around halfway through the baking time.
Remove from the oven and immediately score into rectangles with a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife.
Allow to cool completely before carefully separating the cookies along the scored lines. Store in an airtight container.
Prepare 2 large flat cookie sheets. Turn them upside down and spritz the bottoms with a bit of non-fat cooking spray. Tear off a couple of sheets of parchment paper, at least 15 inches by 12 inches in size. Press these onto the cooking spray and set aside. (You will be baking on the cookie sheets upside down.)
Add the ground ginger to a small skillet. Heat over medium heat until it becomes very fragrant. Remove from the heat and stir together with the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the fresh ginger.
Stir together the milk and flavorings. Add the milk to the creamed mixture alternately with the flour mixture, making 3 dry additions and 2 wet.
Divide the batter in half and using a pastry scraper or a small offset spatula, spread it out onto the prepared baking sheet to cover the parchment. The batter will be very thin. It may seem a bit awkward, but it is well worth the extra time it takes to get it right.
Bake, one sheet at a time on the middle oven rack, until deep golden brown, for 16 to 20 minutes. Turn the sheet around halfway through the baking time.
Remove from the oven and immediately score into rectangles with a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife.
Allow to cool completely before carefully separating the cookies along the scored lines. Store in an airtight container.
Notes:
Light and airy as fairy wings. Start the tea!
Finely chopped crystallized ginger can be used instead of fresh grated. The cookies will be sweeter and have a little more texture. Is that a bad thing?
Finely chopped crystallized ginger can be used instead of fresh grated. The cookies will be sweeter and have a little more texture. Is that a bad thing?