Chocolate & Ginger Cookies

Long time no bake!

   I've been a little quiet since my last post about three weeks ago. A little whiplash has meant that I decided to take some time out to rest and recover. And the fact that my arms just haven't been working! Pins and needles and other weird tingly sensations in both arms make it very difficult to bake.

   During this time I've missed baking. So on Thursday the work girls and I went to a macaron making class with Loretta Liu from On Cafe. Despite being super tired from work we enjoyed the class, and I was thrilled to come home with a box of 30 macarons filled with chocolate ganache and salted caramel. Of course I needed a little help from the girls with lifting trays and folding egg whites!

   I've decided to post a recipe from my drafts today. I made this cookie dough before my time out and put half of it in the freezer for a rainy day. Today may not be rainy but I'm definitely in the mood for a batch of home made cookies!

   Ginger and chocolate is one of my favourite flavour combinations. I'm not the most patient of home bakers, so love that Joy the Baker's recipe uses ginger preserve...saving me the need to fiddle with fresh ginger - something my tingly limbs would not be up to right now!

Chocolate and Ginger Cookies

(Makes a dozen, recipe adapted from Joy the Baker)

     2 cups plain flour

     1 teaspoon baking powder

     1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

     1/4 teaspoon salt

     8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

     2/3 cups golden caster sugar

     1 egg

     2 tablespoons milk

     1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

     1/4 cup Mackay's ginger preserve

• Whisk together the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt.
• With a paddle attachment on a stand mixer, beat the butter on a medium speed until light and creamy.
• Add the egg and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Mix in the milk and vanilla in until just combined. 
• On a low speed, beat in the ginger preserve before finally adding all of the dry ingredients and mixing only until they are incorporated.
• Fold in some chocolate chips and left the dough to chill on a lined baking tray in the fridge for a few hours.
• I took a few scoops out of the dough and shaped into 5 medium sized cookies, and baked at 190 degrees for 12 - 15 minutes. I put the rest of the dough in a sandwich bag in the freezer to save for a rainy day cookie emergency.