Delicious Ginger Crunch Slice

This Ginger Crunch slice has a melt in your mouth shortbread base, and a delicious ginger caramel icing. If you haven't already tried this slice, prepare to fall in love. I really doubt that you will be able to stop at 1 piece, we couldn't.

If you are a regular reader of my blog, you would have seen one of my previous posts on harvesting our ginger crop. There were always going to be a few more recipes to follow based on using the warming ginger spice, the fresh ginger, and the stem ginger in sweet syrup.

I used our very aromatic and freshly ground ginger spice for this recipe, and wow the ginger icing really delivered with a zing of ginger heat, which combined with the sweetness of the golden syrup and icing sugar is the perfect combination of warming gingery sweetness for ginger lovers, but it's not too gingery for those who are moderate imbibers.

Mr. HRK just loves eating ginger in all edible forms, even more so than I do. He will happily nibble away at a packet of crystallised ginger, or '"Naked Ginger" as the Buderim Ginger Factory calls it, which I don't tend to do.  I enjoy ginger, but more so in savoury Asian cooking, and cakes, biscuits and slices, like this one. Are you a serious ginger lover? Either way, this slice suits all tastes.

Let's Bake:

Ingredients:

300 g (2 cups) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons ground ginger

190 g unsalted butter, softened

110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar

Ginger icing

75 g unsalted butter, chopped

1/3 cup golden syrup

240 g (1 1/2 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted

1 tablespoon ground ginger

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 180 deg. C.

Grease a 22 cm square pan, preferably with a removable base. Use baking paper to line the base and sides.

Sift the flour, baking powder and ginger into a bowl and stir it to combine.

Insert the paddle attachment to your stand mixer. Place the butter and sugar into the bowl of your electric stand mixer and beat until it is thick and pale.

Fold in the flour mixture until it is well combined.

Tip the mixture into your baking tray. and press it firmly until evenly distributed. Then prick all over the surface with a fork.

Bake for 25-30 minutes until a light golden colour.

Meanwhile prepare your ginger icing.

Ginger Icing:

Into a medium saucepan, place the butter, golden syrup, icing sugar and ground ginger spice over a low heat. 

Stir the mixture for 3 minutes until the butter has melted.

Ginger caramel deliciousness

Pour the ginger icing over the cooked base while both are still hot and place on a cooling rack to cool completely. This icing will set quickly so please don't leave it sitting in the saucepan for too long.

When the slice is cool, set aside for another hour to set, if you can wait that long.

When set, use a hot knife to cut the slice into 16 squares.

Have a lovely weekend and to those Mothers and Grandmothers celebrating Mother's Day with their families, have a very special day.

Warm wishes

Pauline