Candied Ginger Shortbread Wedges Recipe

Directions:

1. Directions
2. Prepare basic shortbread, sifting ground ginger and white pepper with the flour and salt. Add 1/2 cup crystallized ginger to creamed butter mixture before adding flour mixture. At the end of step 2, sprinkle with 1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger and sanding sugar. Bake until firm and just starting to color, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into wedges. Cookies will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature for 1 week.
3. Basic Shortbread
4. Ingredients
5. Makes 8 to 10 wedges
6. 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
7. 2 cups all-purpose flour
8. 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
9. 1/2 cup confectioners' or granulated sugar
10. Directions
11. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8 1/2-inch round cake or spring form pan. Sift together flour and salt in a small bowl. In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on medium, cream butter until fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add sugar, and continue to beat until very light in color and fluffy, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, about 2 minutes more. Add flour mixture, and beat on low, scraping bowl if necessary, until flour is just incorporated and dough sticks together when squeezed.
12. Pat dough into prepared pan. Use a paring knife to score dough into wedges; prick all over in even intervals with a wooden skewer or fork.
13. Bake until firm in the center and just starting to color, about 50 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and let cool completely. Cut into wedges. Cookies will keep, in an airtight container, at room temperature 3 weeks.
14. Helpful Hint
15. The dough (and its variations) can be prepared and refrigerated overnight or frozen up to three months, covered tightly with plastic wrap; thaw frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. The baking time for each variety of shortbread will vary depending on the kind of pan and cutters used.