Gingernuts, Cornwall, Cindar

The first time I ate gingernuts (ginger cookies) was years ago (13?) during a cycling vacation in Cornwall with Cindar...we absolutely loved gingernuts! Besides tomato & cucumber salad and chips (with salt & vinegar) this was pretty much our staple food. About 9 months ago I made a ginger biscuit recipe from Janice Murfitts 'Traditional Farmhouse Teas'. The cookies turned out to resemble the commercial gingernuts quite a bit...but better because of course I used butter instead of vegetable oils and fats! I adapted the recipe to my taste (instead of using 1 ts ground ginger and 1/2 ts apple pie spice, I used 1 1/2 ts ground ginger). Have been making them quite often, mostly for other people....can't eat them all (but of course have to taste a few every time)...have to watch the calorie-intake (some pregnancy kg's are still 'hanging on')!
The cookies also reminded me of Bastogne cookies (except for the gingertaste)....still have to try making them with cinnamon instead of ginger (the spice used in Bastogne cookies)...next time...I'll update about the taste...

This recipe for ginger cookies is very easy. The only thing you have to take into account is that part of the ingredients are heated and have to cool down before blending with the other ingredients....so schedule some time for that!



125 g (4 oz)) butter
125 g (4 oz)) soft light brown sugar or 'licht bruine basterdsuiker'
1 tbs golden syrup, corn syrup or 'schenkstroop'
150 g (5 oz) all-purpose flour
1 ts baking soda
1-1/2 ts ground ginger

Put butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until the mixture is homogeneous. Let the mixture cool down.
Line two baking sheets with baking paper (if your using non-stick baking sheets you don't need the paper and also don't need to grease them). Heat the oven to 170ºC (325ºF). Sift the flour together with the baking soda and ginger.
Beat the flour mixture together with the sugar-butter mixture until well blended. Roll walnut-sized balls, place them on the baking sheets and flatten them slightly. Be careful to allow space for spreading! Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes, then remove with a palette knife and allow to cool on a wire rack.

1 cookie - 95 kcal
100 g - 470 kcal

carbohydrate 58 g - protein 4 g - fat 25 (saturated 15 g) - fibre 1 g