There are no nuts in gingernuts, but apparently they're named as such (mainly in Australia and the UK) because of their specific hardness--they're hard as a nut to crack. Americans prefer to call them ginger snaps. I just call them delicious.
I made these gingernut biscuits on the weekend, and trust me, they're a keeper. They weren't hard to make at all, and their super crispness and honey-like sweetness make them rather addictive.
My newest Swedish friend said they reminded him much of pepparkakor, the thin ginger biscuit traditionally served at Christmas in Scandinavia. He mentioned that often they are served with blue cheese, a combination which sounds deliriously good.
Gingernut biscuits
200 g butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup golden syrup
3 cups flour
2 tablespoons ground ginger (use more if you prefer)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
Preheat oven to 350 F (180 C). Line baking trays with baking paper.
Cream the butter and the sugar with an electric beater until light and fluffy.
Add the golden syrup (grease or oil-spray the measuring cup before pouring in the golden syrup to stop it sticking).
Add the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Use the electric mixer on low/medium until the ingredients are well-combined.
Pour a little plain flour (about 1/4 cup) into a bowl. Use the flour to lightly dust your hands, then roll tablespoons of mixture into small compact balls. I weighed mine so they were 20 grams each - this means they're more likely to be the same size by the time they've finished baking (oh the joys of an electronic scale).
Place the balls onto the greased baking tray and using floured fingers or a fork, press down gently. If you prefer chewy cookies, you will want to make fatter squatter cookies. If you prefer crisper cookies, make them flatter, pressing down evenly so they become a reasonably thin disc.
Bake at 350F / 180C for 15 minutes. Leave them on the tray for about 5 minutes to harden slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve with cups of tea or sandwiched with vanilla bean ice cream. Or try them spread generously with your favourite softened blue cheese.
Makes 56 biscuits (20g balls)
Ahh those picture perfect gingernut biscuits. I can just about taste them ! Thank you so much for that recipe. They are my hubby's favourite and now I can try making them at home :)
ReplyDeleteHi Rachel - Hope your hubby enjoys them. I think I'll be baking another batch this weekend :)
ReplyDeleteGingernuts are one of my hubby's faves too. I have tried making them once before; while somewhat hard, mine were not as hard as Arnotts. I don't really know why he likes them like that; it could rip the enamel off one's teeth! How hard does this recipe turn out?
ReplyDeleteHi L - These are brilliant. As I mention in the recipe, if you want extra hard biscuits like Arnotts, make sure you flatten the biscuits so they are quite thin. I think an extra dollop of golden syrup wouldn't go astray either.
ReplyDeleteJust made these. A nice addition is some crystallised ginger or a cashew nut on the top. I also put extra powdered ginger and some grated fresh ginger to supercharge the ginger flavour.
ReplyDeleteHi Uncle Hunty - Ooh I like the idea of supercharged gingernuts :) Next time I'm definitely adding more ginger and I do like the idea of grated fresh ginger and crystallised ginger on top!
ReplyDeleteit seems very delicious but I am prefer to buy than making by myself haha...if you had sell it,I might be the clientele.
ReplyDeletevivian
Hi Vivian - These are really easy to make so do give them a go. Homemade is so much tastier and rewarding too!
ReplyDeleteThis recipe is really nice... more of a ginger cookie though and breaks more easily than the very hard Arnotts ginger nut. The first thing to do to make a harder biscuit is leave egg out of the equation... that is what causes chewiness.
ReplyDelete