Ginger Squares Food

GINGER SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• Butter a 9-inch square pan.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter.
• Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar.
• When cool, beat in the egg and vanilla extract.
• In a mixing bowl combine the flour, chopped ginger, baking powder, ground ginger and salt.
• Add the butter-sugar mixture.
• Stir well.
• Scape batter into pan.
• Bake the squares for 20-25 minutes.
• The edges should be slightly bubbled and glazed-looking, and there will be a tissue-thin layer on top of the (baked) batter.
• Glaze: While the squares are baking, stir together the lemon juice and confectioner's sugar.
• As soon as the ginger squares come out of the oven, spread the glaze over them.
• Cut into squares when cool.

CHOCOLATE GINGERBREAD SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and tap out any excess. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, gingerbread spice and salt in a medium bowl. Beat 1 stick butter and the brown sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on low speed until incorporated, then increase the speed to medium and beat until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the whole egg and egg yolks and beat 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the water. Beat until just smooth, being careful not to overbeat (the batter may look curdled).
• Spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until the cake springs back when pressed, 25 to 35 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a rack, remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• Beat the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the ginger jam in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale, about 1 minute. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
• Carefully cut the cake in half crosswise with a serrated knife and spread one half with the ginger filling. Top with the other cake layer and cut lengthwise, then crosswise into 6 equal rows, making small cubes. Freeze the cubes until firm, about 1 hour.
• Melt the chocolate and shortening in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan. Hold each cake square over the bowl on a fork and spoon chocolate over the top until evenly covered. Let the excess drip off, then transfer to a rack set on a baking sheet. Top with crystallized ginger. Let set, about 2 hours at room temperature or 30 minutes in the refrigerator; before completely set, loosen with a spatula.

GINGER - DATE SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter a 9" square pan.
• Chop the nuts, ginger and dates.
• Set them aside.
• Beat the eggs.
• Beat in the sugar and the melted butter.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• Add the dates and nuts to the flour.
• Mix in the wet ingredients.
• It will seem like there is a great deal of dates and nuts, and very little batter.
• Don't worry, it will work out.
• Spread evenly in the prepared 9" pan.
• Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes, until done.
• Remove and let cool in the pan.
• Heat the butter, milk and brown sugar until dissolved.
• Beat in the icing sugar and the vanilla.
• Spread the icing over the cake.
• Cut it into squares, and remove them from the pan.

APPLE AND GINGER SQUARES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F, Grease and flour an 8-inch square cake pan and set aside.
• Peel, core and chop the apples.
• In a bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and syrup.
• Sift flour, ginger and cinnamon, and fold into creamed mixture with the apples.
• Put mixture into prepared pan, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until cooked.
• May be cut into slices, or left as a cake and decorated with whipped cream and sprinkled with cinnamon.

CHOCOLATE & GINGER REFRIGERATOR SQUARES

Steps:

• Line a 20 x 30cm tin with baking parchment. Mix the biscuits with most of the ginger, then set aside. Melt the chocolate, butter and golden syrup in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth and glossy. Pour this over the biscuit and ginger mixture and mix together well.
• Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and sprinkle over the reserved ginger, then flatten the top lightly - it doesn't need to be completely smooth. Chill for at least 2 hrs, or overnight, before cutting into small squares.

DARK CHOCOLATE, GINGER & PISTACHIO SQUARES

Steps:

• Oil a 20 x 20cm brownie tin and line with baking parchment. Tip the gingernuts into a food processor and blitz to crumbs. Melt the coconut oil in a small pan over a low heat or in a heatproof bowl in the microwave, then pour this over the crumbs and pulse to combine. Tip the mix into the prepared tin, press into an even layer and chill until needed.
• Meanwhile, put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with 1 tbsp coconut oil and the ginger syrup. Slowly pour 150ml boiling water from the kettle into the chocolate mixture, whisking all the time until you have a smooth ganache. (If you haven't chopped the chocolate small enough and a few lumps remain, simply zap in the microwave for 10 seconds until smooth.) Stir in a large pinch of salt.
• Pour the ganache over the biscuit base and scatter with the stem ginger pieces, pistachios and a sprinkle of salt. Chill for at least 4 hrs until set, then cut into 25 bite-sized squares. Can be made up to three days in advance and kept covered in the fridge. Bring out of the fridge 20 mins before serving to soften up a little.