Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Glazed ginger cookies: is there a better way?


Wholemeal Crank

Recommended Posts

A long time ago I came up with a recipe for a ginger cookie based on one my Dad remembered from when he was a kid. It is a simple ginger cookie that is not very sweet, finished with simple vanilla glaze.

Frosted Ginger Creams

The last time I made it I got inspired and added a lemon glaze made with lemon juice instead of the water or milk. They were terrific, and disappeared even faster than the chocolate mint cookies based on Hermes' Korova Cookies from Paris Sweets. The problem: the glaze makes them hard to store, being prone to sticking when they're stacked.

So....I'd like a less sticky solution for a simpler to handle cookie.

I've tried putting on a light coat of glaze before they're baked, which just makes for a crackly fractured top and alters baking times quite a bit.

I've tried brushing it on after they're baked and then returning them to the oven with the temp down to 200 degrees for a few minutes to try to dry out the glaze.

Each worked a little but not very well.

And i thought about putting the lemon in the cookies, but can't see adding enough lemon juice to the recipe without unbalancing it, and that would avoid the nice contrast between ginger cooking and lemon topping.

Is this problem why the sandwich cookie was invented?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found the same thing. I really like the almost crispy glaze that store-bought ginger cookies have. I make lots of them, but have never gotten the glaze right. My solution is to roll in demerrara sugar before baking. It gives the outside a nice crunch.

"Life is a combination of magic and pasta." - Frederico Fellini

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I thought that was a royal-icing based cookie glaze, like they use in decorated cookies. Am I wrong?

Theresa :biggrin:

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."

- Abraham Lincoln

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here's a shiny sugar glaze that might work for you. It dries smooth and not sticky to the touch - I guess as long as the weather isn't humid. I haven't tried it in the summer, though. You can use lemon juice in place of part of the water if you want it a bit lemony.

1 cup icing sugar

2 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. light corn syrup

In a bowl, stir together the icing sugar, water and corn syrup until smooth.

To glaze the cookies, hold each one carefully by the edges and dip into the glaze so that just the top surface is coated. Let excess drip off and place on a tray or rack until dry. The glaze will take one to two hours to dry properly. (You can double-dip the cookies into the glaze if you want a thicker coating. Let first coat of glaze set for a minute or two before the second coat.)

Makes enough glaze for 2 to 2-1/2 dozen cookies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I found the same thing. I really like the almost crispy glaze that store-bought ginger cookies have. I make lots of them, but have never gotten the glaze right. My solution is to roll in demerrara sugar before baking. It gives the outside a nice crunch.

With the demerrara sugar on the exterior and either lemon oil or lemon zest in the cookie dough - you should have a great cookie taste without the sticky problem of icing on the top.

I include really finely grated lemon zest in my cookies - you'll have to play with the amount of zest to add to taste it through the ginger flavor.

The idea of a ginger cookie with a lemon cream filling (samdwich cookie) has me craving that taste right now! Keep us posted!

Beaches Pastry

May your celebrations be sweet!

Beaches Pastry Blog

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I use a lemon glaze that will dry that is made from powdered (10x) sugar and lemon juice. The texture is about like ketchup. Thin enough to spread easily but not runny. Sometimes I just spread it on and sometimes squeeze it out of a bottle.

The trick is to put it on hot cookies and let it cool and harden or to warm it up to almost hot and let it cool on the cookies.

After it cools it is opaque and shiny, dry and stackable. The only caution is don't freeze it because it will get white streaks in the glaze, but it still tastes great.

check out my baking and pastry books at the Pastrymama1 shop on www.Half.ebay.com

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And thanks for the good ideas about the glaze. I wonder if making it thinner last time--because I wanted it really lemony, and I just substituted lemon juice for hte milk--made the problem worse.

Maybe a thicker glaze, spread on after baking, and more drying time before attempting to store them might do it.

That, plus I can try adding lemon oil or zest to the dough. I think that will also be nice but not provide the same flavor/texture contrast I'd like to get--what I'm reaching for is more like the crunchy glaze on those commercial cookies that EmilyR mentioned.

Edited by heidih (log)
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carr's "Ginger Lemon Cremes" are the devil.

They're too good to be believed.

And now Costco is selling them in huge boxes for cheap.

As for the glaze, the above with sugar and corn syrup should work great. I think it's the fat (butter, creme cheese) in a glaze that keeps it soft and runny. No fat, no runny. (I could be wrong on this!)

Fooey's Flickr Food Fotography

Brünnhilde, so help me, if you don't get out of the oven and empty the dishwasher, you won't be allowed anywhere near the table when we're flambeéing the Cherries Jubilee.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...

Last week, tried an alternative--made the cookies with lemon juice & zest incorporated into the dough, and it just wasn't right--the balance of sweetness in the dough was thrown off. And I was right in suspecting that the contrast between the lemon topping and the ginger cookie is much more interesting than a lemon/ginger cookie. Off to the drawing board again. Will be sure to completely dry & crisp the cookies before glazing, and making a thicker/dryer glaze to be spread on rather than brushed on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...