Monday, December 21, 2009

MELISSA’S VANILLA-GINGER COOKIES

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These are not your standard spicy ginger cookies. There’s no brown sugar or molasses, nor is there a consortium of spices. They’re really a deliciously tender vanilla-ginger flavored butter cookie, with crispy edges and soft chewy centers. And believe me, they are addictive. If you don’t have vanilla powder, just use vanilla extract in the same amount.

I love the vanilla-ginger combo in this cookie. My one disappointment, though, is that it’s very bland looking. I recommend sprucing up the tops in some way. Use coarse sanding sugar, sprinkles, or even white or dark chocolate drizzles to make them look more appealing. I took the easy way out, just heating up some cream cheese frosting and spreading it onto the tops of the cookies, then sprinkling some with red shots and some with crushed toasted walnuts.

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Mellissa’s Vanilla-Ginger Cookies
Source: www.melissas.com
Rating: 9.0 out of 10 PRINTABLE RECIPE
INGREDIENTS: 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. vanilla powder (or vanilla extract)
2 Tbsp. fresh ginger root, grated
2-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3 oz. crystallized ginger (1 bag of Melissa’s crystallized ginger, in the produce section), chopped into 1/4” pieces

Heat oven to 375F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar and salt until creamy. Add eggs; mix well. Add vanilla and ginger root; mix well. Add flour and crystallized ginger; mix until combined. Drop heaping tablespoons of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet, 2” apart. Flatten balls to 1/4” thick and bake 10-11 minutes, or till just set and beginning to brown. (These are best a little underdone.) Yield: approximately 30 cookies

9 comments:

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

The cookies look great dressed up, but I thought they were fine plain too. I know I would like these because they sound spicy. I'm not familiar with vanilla powder. I've seen someone else in the last week or so use it too, so I'll have to keep an eye out for it.

Hope you have a wonderful holiday Judy and a great new year.
Sam

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

The cookies really look good after you dressed them up. I like that they don't have that over powering ginger flavor.

Inspired by eRecipeCards said...

easy sounding... what a unique ingredient list for a cookie... love this a lot, but I am swearing off cookies for awhile.... sugar overload

Valerie Gamine said...

Wow! Vanilla and ginger both playing the lead...that sounds intriguing. One can never get enough of either. :)

Marge said...

I haven't heard of vanilla powder before either, but these cookies look great. I like the idea of the ginger flavor without the brown sugar!

Kerstin said...

What a unique ginger cookie! They look fabulous and I love that you dressed them up with sprinkles :)

Lea Ann said...

Merry Christmas Judy, sure enjoying your blog.

Debbie said...

The vanilla in those cookies mixed with ginger just sounds so good Judy! Thanks for posting!

MrSound said...

Vanilla and ginger what a unique blend.

Merry X'mas!!!