Sweet sweet Friday: Ginger crunch

It has been quite a week at our house, with very little going on in the kitchen but too much happening out of it. I made this last night and have been self-medicating with it ever since.

Spicy Ginger Crunch
This is a pimped-up version of a Kiwi classic, with an extra-thick layer of icing and nuggets of crystallised ginger in the base. Oh, and an extra-secret spicy kick that the esteemed members of the Country Women's Institute would never have thought of. Leave it out if you're a nervous Nellie...

1 1/2 cups flour
1tsp baking powder
2tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 cup caster sugar
125g butter
1/2 cup crystallised ginger, finely chopped

Icing
150g butter
1/4 cup golden syrup
2 cups icing sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp ground ginger
1tsp Chinese five-spice powder


Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a slice tin with baking paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder, spices and sugar into a large bowl - or a food processor, or the bowl of a freestanding mixer. Add the butter and rub/process/beat until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the crystallised ginger and press into the prepared tin. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden brown.
For the icing, melt the butter and golden syrup together, then add the icing sugar and spices. Cook, stirring constantly, for about one minute, beating with a wooden spoon until smooth. Pour over the hot base and leave to set. Cut into bars and store in an airtight container.
 

Hope you all have a sweet, sweet weekend x Pin It