The best gingernuts ever

Keep an eye out tomorrow for another Allyson Gofton recipe: Crazy Chocolate Cookies.

A plateful of these cookies would be great to share with friends or neighbours over a cuppa!

They come from The Baker’s Companion by Allyson Gofton. This treasure trove of recipes which she perfected over three decades also contains all the baking know-how you could possibly need. Read GrownUps columnist Lyn Potter’s review of the book here.

The best gingernuts ever!

MAKES about 30 biscuits

PREP TIME: 20 minutes

COOK TIME:  18-20 minutes

Ingredients

1 egg, at room temperature

100 grams butter, softened

1 cup caster sugar

1 tablespoon golden syrup

2 cups flour

3-4 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan bake 160°C). Set two racks either side of the centre of the oven. Lightly grease two baking trays or line with baking paper.

Using a fork, lightly mix the egg in a cup.

Beat the butter, sugar and golden syrup together until very light and creamy. Gradually beat in the egg, a little at a time, until the mixture is well creamed. Sift the flour, ginger, baking soda and baking powder together and stir into the creamed mixture.

Roll teaspoonfuls of mixture into even-shaped balls and place on the prepared trays, allowing room for spreading.

Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes or until cracked on top and deep golden-brown. Allow to cool on the trays a little before transferring to a cake rack to cool completely.

When cold, store in an airtight container. These will keep crispy for 3–4 weeks.

Variations

Fresh ginger biscuits: Use only 1 teaspoon ground ginger and add 2 tablespoons of finely grated fresh ginger. Decorate with finely sliced crystallised ginger before baking as above.

Recipes from The Baker’s Companion by Allyson Gofton. Photographs by Lottie Hedley. Publisher Penguin Random House NZ. RRP $55.