Chop ginger to 1/8-inch pieces and cut with a sharp knife; large sticky chunks tear the cold log.
Cooked-yolk semolina shortbread coins with chewy ginger pieces and a coarse sugar rim.
The recipe card lists measured ingredients, numbered steps, storage guidance, and a nutrition estimate when available. Total time includes the listed preparation, rest, baking, and cooling periods for this recipe.
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Crystallized Ginger Demerara Shortbread Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- saucepan
- fine sieve
- bowl
- pastry blender
- knife
- two 13 x 18-inch half sheets
- parchment
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Prepare and rub dough
- Prepare and rub dough: Hard-boil one egg by bringing it to a boil covered with water, then standing covered off heat 12 minutes. Cool in cold water 10 minutes, reserve white and sieve yolk. Rub butter into both grains and salt until sandy, stir in sugar, yolk and fine ginger pieces and press until clumps hold.
Form and chill
- Form and chill: Shape all dough into one 8-inch log about 1 3/4 inches wide. Roll in demerara sugar, pressing to attach, wrap and chill 90 minutes. Slice 24 coins, about 1/3 inch thick.
Bake the whole batch
- Bake the whole batch: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Use two parchment-lined 13 x 18-inch half sheets, 12 cookies per sheet, spaced at least 1 inch apart. Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack for 18–22 minutes, turning front to back halfway; keep the waiting tray refrigerated. Edges and bases should be pale gold and the centers dry. Whole-batch oven time is 44 minutes for both trays.
Cool the cookies
- Cool the cookies: Rest 10 minutes on each tray, then cool 20 minutes on a rack before packing; the 30-minute cooling allowance includes the tray rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 35 min hands-on + 100 min required chill/rest + 44 min whole-batch oven baking + 30 min cooling/setting = 209 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Sieved cooked yolk changes the binding compared with ordinary semolina shortbread; ginger pieces and a coarse sugar crust introduce separate chewy and crisp textures.
Technique & texture
Chop ginger to 1/8-inch pieces and cut with a sharp knife; large sticky chunks tear the cold log.
Finishing & serving
Cool the coins fully so the demerara rim sets; the crystallized ginger pieces remain chewy.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; keep away from moist treats. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Optional 3–5 minutes. Refresh plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan for 3–5 minutes, then cool 20 minutes before sealing. This extra time is outside fresh-batch timings. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why add cooked yolk to semolina dough?
Sieved cooked yolk changes the binding compared with ordinary semolina shortbread; ginger pieces and a coarse sugar crust introduce separate chewy and crisp textures.
Why does my log tear during slicing?
Chop ginger to 1/8-inch pieces and cut with a sharp knife; large sticky chunks tear the cold log.
Should the ginger pieces become crisp?
Cool the coins fully so the demerara rim sets; the crystallized ginger pieces remain chewy.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Christmas Shortbread Cookies collection.
