Stem Gingernuts

The scent of ginger is wafting from the Gnome Cookery. The fall baking flavors are in the air and on the tongue! Ginger is one of my favorite spices and used year round. But during the fall season the taste of ginger is warming while the weather is turning cool and crisp.


I have a new baking book The Great British Book of Baking . I am looking to learn a bit about British baking. I decided to open the book with my eyes closed and just bake. Lucky me I opened the book to Stem Gingernuts.

I checked out the internet trying to understand the British term biscuit. I think I understand a British biscuit to be a savory or sweet on the crunchy side of yummy. I was not familiar with caster sugar, golden syrup or stem ginger. Caster sugar turned out to be a medium fine sugar texture between white and powdered sugar. I ground some white sugar in a coffee grinder to create a finer sugar then white sugar.   

 

Stem ginger is a preserved candied ginger in sweet syrup. It was not hard to make. 

Ingredients 

1/2 lb of fresh ginger root, 2 cups white sugar, 2 cups of water and a candy thermometer 

Directions

1. Peel and cut the ginger into cubes. 

2. Cover with cold water.

3. Boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

4. Drain the water and repeat. (Some reciepes did this step three times)

5. Add the sugar and water. 

6. Cook to 225 degree using the candy thermometer. It will take approximately 15 minutes. 

7. Put into sterile jars. It can store for up to 3 months in the frig. 

Golden syrup or treacle is very tasty. I had no idea what it was. I was under the misguided impression it was a light colored molasses. Not even close! Why do we not use this wonder stuff in more recipes here in the US? While making the syrup I was reminded of the process of caramelizing.

Golden Syrup
Ingredients
3 T water, 1/2 cup of white sugar, slice of lemon, 1 1/2 cups boiling water, 2 1/2 cups of white sugar
Directions
1. Swirl to combine 3 T water and 1/2 cups of sugar in a pan.
2. Heat to a simmer on medium heat for approximately 10-15 minutes. Do not mix or stir. It will turn a caramel color.
3. Add 2 1/2 cups of sugar and 1 1/2 cups of boiling water and a slice of lemon.
4. Simmer for 45 minutes.
5. Put into sterile quart jar.

 The finished Stem Ginger and Golden Syrup.

 I made a lot of notes while learning how to bake the giner biscuit.

 

My first attempt was over baked and too crunchy. They had a nice favor but I do not think they where as good as they could be. My second bake was much better. The outside had good crack with a crunchy outside. The center had a slight softness that kept the ginger warmth on the tongue just long enough to feel the flavor.  

 

I really enjoyed baking these biscuits. I thought the flavor was heightened dunked in a creamy vanilla flavored cup of strong coffee. I really dislike anything dunked in coffee that looses it shape or lets crumbs go into my java. These biscuits held their shape very well. I am not sure I would dunk them in a cup of tea? I will have to try them with my favorite tea, Earl Grey. I would have like to try the tea dunking experiment but a bunch of smaller gnomes ate the rest of the biscuits. They swarmed the kitchen taking handfuls of the biscuits with them as they went out the door into the cold with bare feet to jump in piles of leaves and practice gymnastics.  

After the cookery was all cleaned up, I thought I would sit and explore the baking book. One of our cats Dr Smexy Butterscotch Pickle thought he would help me decide my next bake.  

Short bread....sounds so tasty....I am not sure if kitty approves?