Orange Crystallized Ginger Cookies

When I moved to Germany I carefully culled my cookbooks to see which ones would make the jump across the pond. The Great American Baking Book, with it's title alone was a no brainer. It went into the container. I love many recipes in this book and the pictures and tutorials alone were worth the international carting around a book of this size. If you are interested, a used copy is on 75 cents on Amazon. Click on the title below the recipe to get the link.

This cookie combines my one of my favorite colors and two of my favorite flavors. For me they are fall in a cookie.  After traveling to roughly 60 countries and although I live in a picture perfect German countryside, I can still say my favorite fall memories have to be on the USA's East Coast.

Alternate gorgeous weekends with trees exploding in color at our family home in the Berkshires with crisp autumn New York City days and I have the recipe for my perfect fall.


These are chewy and flavorful with a plenty of ginger to warm your tummy. A lovely companion to tea for an sweet and spicy autumn afternoon snack.

Orange Crystallized Ginger Cookies
Adapted from The Great American Baking Book by Patricia Lousada. Anness Publishing Limited 1994


Ingredients:


1 stick butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon orange extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup (depending how gingery you want your cookies) crystalized ginger chopped into small pieces

Directions:

Sift together flours baking powder and salt and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar together until creamy

Beat in egg yolk

Add orange juice, zest, and extracts. Mix thoroughly.

Add the flour mixture to and with a wooden spoon, mix in.

Mix in the chopped crystalized ginger pieces

Wrap dough in plastic wrap or wax paper and refrigerate for 2 hours.

After dough is chilled, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment or a silpat.

Form dough into balls, and place at least 1 inch apart on the cookies sheets.

 Press down on each ball of dough with a fork.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.

Makes about 30 cookies.