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Ginger crunch
New Zealand ginger shortbread slice with thick ginger icing
Ginger crunch is in every New Zealand café cabinet and was in every school fair tin long before that, a recipe passed between generations in handwritten notebooks. A crisp, buttery ginger shortbread base is covered while still hot with a thick, fudgy icing of butter, golden syrup, icing sugar and plenty of ground ginger. Cut into bars, it keeps a week in a tin. A common mistake is letting the base cool before icing; hot base and hot icing set together properly. Chef's tip: use more ginger than you think; the icing should have a real bite.
- Total time
- 40 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
For the base
- 4 ½ oz buttersoftened
- 3 ½ oz caster sugar
- 7 oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground ginger
For the icing
- 3 ⅛ oz butter
- 3 tbsp golden syrup
- 6 ½ oz icing sugar
- 3 tsp ground ginger
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan) and line a 20 × 30 cm tin with baking paper.
5 minStep 2: Beat 4 ½ oz butter and 3 ½ oz caster sugar until creamy, then mix in 7 oz plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp ground ginger to a crumbly dough. Press firmly and evenly into the tin.
5 minStep 3: Bake for 18–20 minutes until pale golden.
20 minStep 4: Near the end, melt 3 ⅛ oz butter and 3 tbsp golden syrup in a pan, then stir in 6 ½ oz icing sugar and 3 tsp ground ginger until smooth and warm.
4 minStep 5: Pour the icing over the hot base and spread it evenly.
2 minStep 6: Cool in the tin, then cut into bars while still slightly warm for neat edges.
60 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 30 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 0 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ginger crunch take?
- About 40 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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