Ginger Crunch
This classic New Zealand Ginger Crunch is topped with a kick of ginger icing and finished with a generous layer of roasted pistachios.
Equipment
- large mixing bowl
- digital scale
- measuring spoons tsp / tbsp
- loaf tin 8x4 or 9x5
- fork
- spoon
- balloon whisk
- soft rubber spatula
- baking paper
Ingredients
Base
- 125 g all-purpose
- 85 g unsalted butter room temp
- 66 g granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp ground ginger
Icing
- 105 g powdered sugar
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp golden syrup
- 1 tbsp ground ginger
Instructions
Roasted Pistachios
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350℉. Scatter pistachios on the tray and roast them in the oven for 6 minutes or until you smell a nutty aroma. Be careful not to burn them!
Base
- Bump up the oven temperature to 375 and allow it to rise to the accurate temperature to bake the base. The dough for the base should only take 10 minutes to come all together.
- In a separate bowl, you’re gonna want to mix your flour, baking soda, and ginger powder whisk it all together, and then set it aside.
- In another mixing bowl, you’re going to mix the butter and sugar. It is light and air and fluffy and lighter by a couple of shades, then you’re going to add flour to your butter and I like to toss it around with either a fork or spatula. Either inside the bowl, or on a clean bench space, use your hands to kneading with medium-hard pressure until you get a solid, compact ball of dough, 3-4 minutes.
- Line your loaf tin with parchment paper. Begin to break up the dough and sprinkle it over the bottom of the pan until it is evenly distributed. Then start to push down the dough - with either the back of the measuring cup, your hands, or with the back of the spoon.
- Finish off by smoothing the base with the back of the spoon (or measuring cup), firmly pushing down on the edges of the base as the sides tend to rise more as the base bakes.
- Next, you will dock the base. To to do this, we’re going to use a fork and poke horizontal lines along the base. This is gonna help allow the base to cook evenly by letting heat penetrate through the different holes made by the fork.
- Place the base of the oven that is at 375°F for 22 to 25 minutes until the top is golden brown and the sides are slightly pulling away from the edge of the pan. Use the back of the spoon used earlier to push any raised sides of your base.
Icing
- In the last 10 minutes of baking at your ginger crunch base, you’re going to want to start your ginger icing. Sieve your powdered sugar and your ginger powder. In a heavy bottom pan on a low-medium heat, begin to melt butter and golden syrup, then quickly add your sugar and ginger (you do not want your butter to split). Allow the powdered sugar to absorb the liquid and start to thicken up into an icing. Make sure that there are no clumps of powder left in your icing and attempt to whisk out bubbles.
- When you take your base out of the oven, you’re going to want to set it down on a wire rack. With the back of the spoon you used earlier, press down on the edges of the base that have risen until they are touching the sides of the tin again. Your base surface should be level with no gaps on the side.
- Once the base surface is flat, pour the ginger crunch icing on top. Because it’s still hot enough, it should run onto the base pretty smoothly, otherwise use a spatula, toothpick, or knife to smooth out the surface. Now it’s the time to add any toppings that you want on your ginger crunch such as pistachios or crystallized ginger.
- Leave your ginger crunch out at room temperature or if you are in a rush you can put the ginger crunch in the fridge (once it is at room temperature) for half of the chilling time - which is two hours. Just make sure that you cut into the ginger crunch when it’s not completely rockhard solid, and make sure that you also use a clean sharp knife!
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