Kiwi Cooking: Ginger Slice

At the moment I'm having a love affair with Ginger, and this is my absoloute favourite way to eat it. It's not particularily healthy, but it's scrumptious and really easy to make.

On reflection, I think I know why I have been into Ginger - it's so autumnal: soft, spicy, dancing on the palate. Combine this with a biscuit base, golden syrup and icing sugar. Warms the cockles of your heart.
 

I remember making this when I was 12, in the 'home economics' class at primary school, and it hasn't ever lost it's place in my heart. The recipe is found in the Kiwi Cooking bible, the Edmonds cooking book, found in almost every Kiwi's home. Originally made as a marketing tool for Baking Powder, according to Wikipedia "it remains New Zealand's fastest selling book with over 200,000 copies sold in one year."

 

Such a great cook book; nothing particularily fancy, it's a small wire bound book, smaller than A5; and contains almost every day-to-day cooking recipes you can think of.

A lovely slice of childhood, perfect with a cup of Tea or Coffee.

 

Ginger Crunch Slice (Original Source)

 

Ingredients:

Slice:
125 g Butter, softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1 1/2 cups standard Plain Flour
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
Icing:
75 g Butter
3/4 cup Icing Sugar
2 tablespoons Golden Syrup
3 teaspoons Ground Ginger

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and ginger together.
3. Mix into creamed mixture.
4. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead well.
5. Press dough into a greased 20x30cm sponge roll tin.
6. Bake at 190C (375F) for 20-25 minutes or until light brown.
7. When there is about 5 minutes of cooking time left, combine butter, icing sugar, golden syrup and ginger.
8. Heat until butter is melted, stirring constantly.
9. Pour hot ginger icing over base while hot and cut into squares before it gets cold.

* I decorated mine with Dark Chocolate melted & drizzled over it. If you love Ginger, you can double both quantities of Ground Ginger in the recipe. Ginger heaven.

I'm submitting this recipe for the December 2012 One Ingredient challenge. Hosted by the Franglais Kitchen and How to Cook Good Food my post is an oldie, but a goodie by Edmonds.

What do you think of Ginger as a sweet - like it or loathe it?