Ginger kisses...

Soft, sweet, pillowy cakes of joy.
A true New Zealand pantry classic.

Here's how to make it happen...


125g flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
115g butter
85g caster sugar
1 egg
2 tsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp hot water

For the filling...

30g butter
120g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
A dash of boiling water

Heat oven to 180 C.
Sift together the dry ingredients. Cream the butter and sugar then beat in the egg, followed by the golden syrup (helps to warm the syrup up a little).
Fold in the dry ingredients and the baking soda dissolved in the boiling water. Put small balls of  mixture on the trays. Do this by either rolling the mixture between two (hot) teaspoons or using a piping bag. They should be no bigger than 4cm and be sure to give them lots of space to puff up in the oven.
Bake for 10 - 12 minutes, let sit for a few minutes then transfer to cooling rack.

  
* My first attempt was somewhat unsuccessful. I had put them a little too close together on the trays and my oven wasn't quite hot enough, so they had no choice but to spread into one gigantic monster cookie. Second attempt, I bumped the oven up a few degrees, gave them a little more space and baked them one tray at a time. Much better.


To make the filling, simply beat the (softened) butter, icing sugar and vanilla together with an electric beater, then adding the boiling water as needed. Continue beating until the mixture is very light and creamy..  pipe a good sized dollop onto the middle of one biscuit and squish it out to the edges with another. Finish with a sprinkling of icing sugar.

Free food shelf ANZAC cookies...

One of the few perks that come with living in a hostel is a little something called the 'free food shelf'. Short staying travelers leave behind things they can't take with them and, in turn, supply us long stayers with an abundance of salt, pepper, cereals and condiments! While scanning the free food shelf a few days ago, I spotted a half full bag of oats. I thought the only way to do them justice was to whip up a batch of ANZAC cookies. I popped a handful of raisins in these ones because I was in a 'use everything up' mood.

                                                      

The ingredients...

1 1/2 cup oats

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup raisins

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp boiling water

2 tbsp golden syrup

125g butter

Oven at 180 C. Combine oats, coconut, flour, sugar and dried fruit if your'e using it. In a saucepan, melt butter and golden syrup. Dissolve your baking soda in the boiling water and add to the syrup while its still hot. Expect it to froth up! Make a well in your dry ingredients and pour in the syrup mix. Combine well. Roll into tablespoon size balls, place on greased tray and flatten just a little. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes.