RFCJ RECIPE ARCHIVE
Posted by : Ruth Heiges Cinnamon and Ginger Crisps - pareve
This is from Evelyn Rose's "Table Talk" column of September 4, 1998, in the Jewish Chronicle, UK; one of her suggestions for advance Rosh Hashana baking. I don't care to expend the patience usually required for baking cookies and have even taken to baking Toll House Cookies in a pan, then cutting into bars, like brownies. I'm sure this will appeal to some of you, though. Ginger and cinnamon are characteristically used in a lot of Jewish baking and cooking, both Ashkenazic and Sephardic. The reason for this, insofar as I've been able to determine, is because Jews, through the ages, were heavily involved in the spice trade. So, you'll find these once-exotic spices perfuming Jewish cuisine in geographically disparate regions, from as far away as the Asian province of Georgia, through Europe, and to North Africa. Ruth CINNAMON AND GINGER CRISPS Makes 24. Will keep fresh in an airtight container for l week at room temperature. Freeze 3 months. The ginger can be omitted but it adds a finger-lickin' flavour to the biscuits [cookies]. 5 oz. (50g) self-raising flour 2 oz. (50g) dark brown (muscovado) sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 4 oz. (125g) butter or margarine (cut in 1 inch (2.5cm) chunks) 3 oz. (75 g) crystallised ginger, finely diced or chopped. For the cinnamon sugar topping: 2 Tablespoons caster [superfine] sugar mixed with 1 teaspoon cinnamon Preheat the oven to Gas No 4 (350° F, 180° C). Put the flour, sugar and spices in a bowl, add the chunks of fat and rub in with the fingertips until the mixture looks like a damp crumble. Tip the mixture into a bowl, stir in the chopped ginger, gather together and knead into a smooth dough — rather like Playdoh in texture. Have ready two oven trays covered with silicone liner or paper. Pinch off pieces of dough about the size of a small walnut and roll between the palms into balls. Arrange these 2 inches (5cm) apart on the trays. Using a large fork dipped frequently in a glass of cold water, press down on each ball to make a biscuit about 3/8 inch (1cm) thick. Bake for 15 minutes until set but not crisp. Take out of the oven and scatter each biscuit with cinnamon sugar. Leave for 10- 15 minutes to crispen up, then cool and store.
