Granny Irenes Ginger Crunch Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.
• Make shortbread base:
• Sift together dry ingredients and blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Press evenly into bottom of pan (base will be thin). Bake in middle of oven until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Make topping just before shortbread is done:
• Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in remaining ingredients until smooth. Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds.
• Pour topping:
• Remove shortbread from oven and pour topping over, tilting pan to cover shortbread evenly. Cool in pan on a rack, then cut into small rectangles (8 rows lengthwise and 8 crosswise).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C (350F).
• Using a mixer or a food processor, cream the butter and sugar.
• Add sifted flour, ground ginger and baking powder and mix well until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs- you can do this with your fingers if you like, but I do it in the food processor.
• If using a food processor, scrape down sides once or twice to ensure all butter is mixed in with the flour.
• Tip mixture into a well-greased shallow sided baking tin measuring approximately 27cm x 17cm (10 1/2" x 6 1/2") or a 20cm (8") square.
• Using your fingers or the back of a fork, spread mixture evenly then press down lightly until just firm.
• Don't press too hard or the mixture will set like concrete.
• Bake on the centre shelf of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.
• During the last few minutes of baking, combine all the icing (frosting) ingredients in a small saucepan and melt over a low-medium heat, stirring constantly.
• Remove the biscuit base from the oven and immediately pour hot icing mixture as evenly as possible over the base.
• Use a bread knife to spread the icing evenly over the base.
• Now, cut the pieces of crystallised ginger in half and space them out evenly on top.
• Slice into approximately 20 squares while still warm.
• Remove baking tin when cool and store in an airtight tin.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Line a deep-sided 18 x 27cm shallow baking tin with grease-proof paper.
• To make the base, put the flour, sugar, baking powder and ginger into a mixing bowl and combine together, then add the butter. Using your fingertips rub the butter into the flour mixture until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Heavily press the mixture evenly into the tin so it is well compressed and flatten well using the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
• Whilst the base is cooling make the icing by putting the butter and golden syrup in a medium saucepan and heat until just melted. Add the sifted icing sugar and ginger and cook for a few more minutes, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat and poor over the cooled base. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours. Remove from the tin and cut into squares.