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Paradise and Pennant Candied Fruit

Sourdough Gingerbread Cookies with Crystallized Ginger

Made with a tangy sourdough starter, these cookies have a unique flavor profile that pairs perfectly with the warm, aromatic spices of classic gingerbread. And with the addition of sweet and chewy crystallized ginger, these cookies offer a delightful texture and a burst of sweet and spicy flavor in every bite.

Ingredients:

• 375g (3 cups*) all-purpose flour*
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp nutmeg
• ¼ tsp ground cloves
• 200g (1 packed cup) brown sugar
• 113g (½ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 60g (¼ cup) sulfured molasses
• 65g (⅓ cup) sourdough discard
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1- 8 oz pkg. crystallized ginger, diced

Directions:

In a small combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices. In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment) cream butter, brown sugar, vanilla and molasses until it’s thick and fluffy.

Beat in the egg and the sourdough starter until it is combined. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and use a rubber spatula to combine it into a thick and sticky dough. Fold in diced crystallized ginger.

Shape the dough into a mound and cut it into 2 pieces. Wrap the pieces in plastic wrap and chill them in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or all the way up to 36 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350°F /176°C. Unwrap one of the pieces of cold dough and place it on a floured workspace. Roll it out until it’s ¼ inch thick, dusting the top of the dough to stop it from sticking to the rolling pin. The initial rolling will be harder and the dough will crack. It will get easier to roll each time as the butter in the dough will soften.

Use as much flour as you need to roll it out without it sticking. Use cookie cutters to cut out dough shapes and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spaced around an inch apart. If you’re cutting different-sized cookies, bake the same-sized cookies on the tray together so they bake evenly.

Gather up all the scraps of dough and re-roll it and continue with the cutting. Bake the cookies for around 8-10 minutes, depending on their size., until lightly browned around the edges.

For crispier cookies, you can bake them a few minutes longer. Once baked, remove the cookies from the tray and place them on a wire rack to cool.

A recipe from our guest blogger, Lynn Huntley.