Citrus Ginger Sugar Recipes

CITRUS-GINGER GRANITA

Steps:

• Stir water, sugar, ginger, lemon zest, and lime zest together in a saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is bubbling, 5 to 10 minutes; cool slightly.
• Stir the ginger mixture an orange juice together in a pitcher; pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish.
• Place dish in the freezer; scrape and stir orange juice mixture with a fork once every hour until granita is evenly frozen and crystallized, about 6 hours.

CITRUS-GINGER GINGER SNAPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Beat candied ginger, grated ginger, lemon zest, ground ginger, and cinnamon into butter mixture; stir in molasses.
• Fold flour and baking soda into ginger-butter mixture until a stiff dough forms. Roll dough into 1-inch balls.
• Pour remaining 1/2 cup sugar into a shallow bowl. Roll dough balls in the sugar and place balls 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cookies flatten, lose their sheen, and slightly crack, about 12 minutes. Cool for 3 to 5 minutes on the baking sheets before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

CITRUS-GINGER SUGAR

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Transfer to an airtight container and cover; let stand at room temperature for at least 4 hours and up to overnight. Sugar may be kept, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.

GLAZED LEMON AND CRYSTALLIZED GINGER COOKIES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 375.
• Mix sugar, crystallized ginger and lemon zest and process about 30 seconds in food processor.
• Add flour, salt and baking powder and pulse until combined.
• Add butter in chunks and pulse until mixture resembles fine cornmeal.
• In small bowl beat lemon juice, egg yolk and vanilla with fork. Add slowly to ingredients in running food processor. Continue running until mixture forms a ball.
• Turn onto counter and knead briefly to even out dough. Shape into 2 inch diameter log, wrap tightly in parchment and chill for 45 minutes in freezer or 2 hours in refrigerator.
• Slice into 3/8 inch thick discs and bake on parchment paper until centers just begin to color and edges begin to brown - 14-16 minutes.
• Cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then completely on cooling rack before glazing.
• Make glaze by whisking cream cheese and lemon juice until smooth, then whisking in sugar. Spread about 1 tsp glaze on each cookie and let stand about one hour until glaze is set and dry.

GINGERBREAD COOKIES AND CITRUS SUGAR COOKIES

Steps:

• Make the gingerbread cookie dough:
• Sift flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat shortening and butter in large bowl into light. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in molasses, then egg. Add dry ingredients. Using spoon, stir until mixture forms dough (dough will be very soft). Divide dough into thirds. Gather each third into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated.)
• Make the citrus sugar cookie dough:
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, lemon peel and tangerine peel in large bowl until light. Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 cup powdered sugar and beat until fluffy. Beat in egg. Add dry ingredients. Using spoon, stir until mixture forms dough (dough will be soft). Divide dough into thirds. Gather each third into ball; flatten into disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Keep refrigerated. Let soften slightly, if necessary, before rolling out.)
• Shaping and baking cookies:
• If you're making both kinds of cookies, work with one type of dough at a time.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously flour work surface and rolling pin. Place 1 dough disk on work surface (keep remaining 2 dough disks refrigerated). Press rolling pin into dough several times to flatten slightly for easier rolling. Roll out dough to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness, frequently lifting and turning dough to prevent sticking. Using assorted cookie cutters dipped into flour, cut out cookies. Transfer cookies to ungreased nonstick baking sheets, spacing 1/2 inch apart. Gather dough scraps together and reserve.
• Bake until cookies turn brown on edges, about 15 minutes. Let cookies stand on sheets 1 minute. Using metal spatula, transfer cookies to racks and cool completely.
• Repeat rolling, cutting and baking with remaining 2 dough disks as described above, being sure to cool cookie sheets before making each batch. Combine all reserved dough scraps and shape into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disk in plastic and freeze until firm enough to roll, about 30 minutes. Repeat rolling, cutting and baking as described above. Store cooled cookies in airtight container at room temperature until ready to decorate.
• Powdered sugar icing:
• This recipe makes about three cups of icing, enough to decorate all the gingerbread and sugar cookies in the preceding recipes.
• 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup milk
• 6 to 8 cups powdered sugar
• Assorted food colorings (such as blue, red, yellow and green)
• Combine lemon juice and milk in large bowl. Whisk in 5 cups powdered sugar. Gradually whisk in enough remaining sugar by 1/2 cupfuls to form icing stiff enough to pipe (mixture will resemble stirred sour cream). Transfer 2/3 cup icing to small bowl to use as white icing; set aside. Divide remaining icing equally among 2 or more small bowls; mix food coloring by drops into each bowl, tinting icing to desired shade. If necessary, stir more sugar into icing to thicken.
• Decorating Cookies:
• The techniques listed below are all easy and give beautiful results. You can even combine techniques: for example, cookies can be glazed first and then piped or drizzled with icing or sprinkled with colored sugar or coconut #&151; or all of the above.
• Milk
• Pastry Brushes
• Assorted decorations (such as colored sugar, sweetened shredded coconut, toasted sliced almonds, chocolate and rainbow sprinkles, multicolored nonpareils, button candies, mini semisweet baking bits and dried currants)
• Standard pastry bags and 1/16-inch plain tips or disposable plastic pastry bags
• To glaze:
• Spoon a small amount of white or colored icing into a small bowl. Mix in enough milk by 1/4 teaspoons to thin icing to spreading consistency
• Using pastry brush, brush glaze over cooled baked cookies. Continue decorating glazed cookies, if desired, using the following techniques.
• To sprinkle with decorations:
• Before glaze dries, sprinkle cookie with assorted decorations.
• To pipe using standard pastry bags: Fit each pastry bag with 1/16-inch plain tip. Stand each bag in short cup. Fold back top of bag to expose interior. Spoon 1 color of icing into each bag. Lift bag from cup; twist top of bag at level of icing to close securely.
• To pipe using disposable plastic pastry bags:
• Stand each plastic bag in a short cup. Spoon 1 color of icing into each bag. Lift bag from cup; twist top of bag at level of icing to close securely. Cut off very bottom of tip to allow small ribbon of icing to come out.
• Pipe icing decoratively onto plain or glazed cookies. Before piped icing sets, sprinkle with colored sugar, coconut or other decorations, if desired.
• To drizzle:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Place plain or glazed cookies on foil, spacing apart. Mix milk into white or colored icing by 1/2 teaspoonfuls until icing is thin enough to drizzle. Dip spoon into icing and drizzle over cookies in zigzag or slanted lines. Before icing lines set, sprinkle with colored sugar, sweetened shredded coconut or other decorations, if desired.
• To apply decorations:
• Use wet icing as glue to stick on nuts, dried currants or other decorations 1 at a time. For example, dip tip of toasted sliced almonds into icing. Attach iced section of almond to plain or glazed cookie. Repeat to form 1 row of nuts or to cover cookie completely.
• Let decorated cookies stand until icing sets, about 2 hours. (Can be prepared up to 2 weeks ahead. Store cookies in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers.)