RECIPE: Ginger Cookie Sticks- What went wrong?

21 years ago

Tonight I made this recipe for the first time. It tastes good, perhaps a bit mealy but it didn't turn out as I expected. This is a recipe from a December Family Circle Magazine I found when I was at the doctor with my father.

They didn't look done at the time called for so I left them in a bit longer and I cooked them on convection bake at the 350 degree temperature that was specified (as opposed to altering the temperature down 25 degrees). When you cut them after cooling they were all crumbly. Didn't hold up well at all. The flavor is very good however.

Here's the recipe:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cornstarch

2 Tblsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks ) unsalted butter softened

2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 Tblsp crystallized ginger, finely chopped

2 Tblsp coarse decorating sugar

Heat oven to 350. Line a 13x9x2 inch baking dish with foil with sligh overhang. Use Reynold's no stick foil or coat foil with cooking spray.

Into bowl, sift together flour, cornstarch, ginger, cinnamon, pepper, cloves, salt. In larg borwl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and molassses; beat until smooth.

On low speed, beat flour mixture into butter mixture until blended. Spread in prepared pan. Sprinkle with ginger.

Bake in 350 degree oven 15 minutes. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 10 minutes or until center is set. Cool in pan on rack. Use foil to lift bar to rack.

Cut into thirds lengthwise; cut crosswise into twelve 1-inch stips to make 36 rectanges about 2 3/4 x 1 inch.

The only place where I screwed up is not beating the butter by itself. By accident I added the sugar too early.

Anyone have any ideas? Thanks in advance!

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Comments (8)

barbara52
21 years ago
I'd be surprised if beating the butter w/the sugar and molasses, as opposed to by itself, would make any difference.

Even though the recipe says not to cut until cool, I'm wondering if cutting them while still warm would reduce the crumbliness. You could try cutting while warm but not actually separating them until they cooled. (?)

The ingredients sound wonderfully tasty, but the 1/2 cup of cornstarch is a bit surprising to me. Can that be right?

This could be one of those cases where the next issue of the magazine says " In our last issue, in the recipe for Ginger Cookies, the ingredients should have read one half teaspoon cornstarch, instead of 1/2 cup." LOL
Lisa_in_Germany
21 years ago
I have several cake recipes that use cornstarch for part of the flour.
Sorry I can't help you. I am bad about figuring out what went wrong in a recipe.
Lisa
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lindac
21 years ago
I think the recipe is to blame. Adding cornstarch with the flour makes a very tender cake or cookie. Also sounds like it could use some baking soda for a little puff.
But...I'm thinking this should have been sort of like a brownie in texture.......maybe it should be more like a cookie....in that case it needs more flour.
Linda C
roselin32
21 years ago
compumom, no eggs?
RL`
compumom
Original Author
21 years ago
Sorry, I was off the 'puter for a few days...
First- Roselin there aren't any eggs--that is strange isn't it? I've never baked a recipe with cornstarch before that seemed strange to me too. As I said, it was from Family Circle Magazine so I'll drop them a note too. Barbara's probably correct, they'll have a retraction in their next issue!
roselin32
21 years ago
I have several recipes that call for that much cornstarch and have never had a problem with them. Will take a look and see if there are eggs in them.
RL`
lindac
21 years ago
I also have several recipes that call for a lot of corn starch with the flour,,,,,and they have eggs.
Traditional ginger cookies sometimes do not contain an egg.....but they do contain a lot more flour in proportion to the butter and suger.
When I run across a recipe that looks "odd"...I try to find something similar to determine of it will work at all. There are a lot of bad recipes out there!
But I think what makes this one so intriguing is the topping.
Linda C
compumom
Original Author
21 years ago
The topping Was delicious! I bought the crystalized ginger at Williams Sonoma by a company called "the ginger people". It was spicy ginger and it worked well. The bite wasn't as strong after it was cooked.