Buttery gingerbread-spiced shortbread fingers with finely minced crystallized ginger, fork-pricked tops and a delicate crumbly finish.
Flour keeps sticky candied ginger from clumping in the processor.
This is a buttery shortbread flavored with gingerbread spices and finely minced crystallized ginger, without molasses or egg. Fork holes reduce puffing and mark a classic shortbread finish. Very finely processed ginger distributes the flavor without large chewy chunks. The 9 × 13-inch pan keeps the sheet thin enough for the stated bake.
Gingerbread Shortbread Cookies
Per tray: 35–40 minutes · One 9 × 13-inch metal pan, cut into 24 fingers
Allow 100 minutes: 20 hands-on, 0 chilling, 40 for all baking trays, 40 cooling. Cooling includes the pan rest. Optional decoration, ingredient warm-up and extra trays add time.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- Food processor for mincing crystallized ginger
- Electric mixer and mixing bowl
- 9 × 13-inch metal pan with parchment sling
- Fork for docking
- Bench scraper or sharp knife and cooling rack
- US measures and scale
Buttery gingerbread-spiced shortbread fingers with finely minced crystallized ginger, fork-pricked tops and a delicate crumbly finish.
Ingredients
Scale ingredients and US equivalents, including eggs. Keep cookie size, thickness, oven temperature and baking time per tray unchanged. More trays add time; weigh beaten egg for fractional batches.
Cookie dough
Spice blend
Instructions
Mix
- Build the buttery doughHeat to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Beat butter, sugar, salt, vanilla and ground spices until smooth, without extended fluffy creaming. Pulse 1 cup of the measured flour with crystallized ginger until very finely minced, then mix this and the remaining flour into the butter just until combined.
Shape
- Press and dockLine the 9 × 13-inch pan and press dough evenly across the base. Prick all over with a fork, arranging holes in tidy rows. Lightly score into 24 fingers in a 4-by-6 grid without separating. No scheduled chill is needed.
Bake
- Color the whole surfaceBake 35–40 minutes until the top is golden and edges slightly deeper. The pan format gives a fairly thin sheet; start checking at 35 minutes.
Cut and cool
- Cut while warmRest about 5 minutes, lift carefully with parchment and cut along the scored lines while still warm. Leave on a rack with parchment supporting the pieces for about 35 minutes until cold and crumbly. Avoid snapping fingers apart while hot.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Mince ginger with flour
Flour keeps sticky candied ginger from clumping in the processor.
Do not overcream
Excess air can make shortbread puff rather than bake into a dense crumbly finger.
Cut warm, lift cold
Warm scoring limits crumbling, but cold fingers are sturdier to handle.
Storage & Make-Ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | Up to 1 week | Cool completely, then store airtight in a cool room. |
| Refrigeration | Raw dough: up to 2 days | Wrap dough tightly. Plain baked cookies do not need refrigeration. |
| Raw freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze a wrapped flat dough slab. Thaw covered in the refrigerator, then press evenly into the pan. |
| Cooked freezing | Up to 2 months | Freeze cooled cookies airtight. Thaw covered at room temperature. |
| Restoration | Before serving | Warm undecorated cookies briefly at 300°F for 3–5 minutes if desired; cool before decorating. |
Notes
- This is a buttery shortbread flavored with gingerbread spices and finely minced crystallized ginger, without molasses or egg. Fork holes reduce puffing and mark a classic shortbread finish. Very finely processed ginger distributes the flavor without large chewy chunks. The 9 × 13-inch pan keeps the sheet thin enough for the stated bake.
Nutrition
Approximate per-serving values from generic ingredient weights and stated yield, including listed toppings and fillings. Excludes optional decoration and bench flour. Leftover coating or icing, ingredient brands and actual yield change these estimates.
RECIPE REVIEWEDGINGERBREADGINGERBREAD COOKIES
Frequently Asked Questions
A few helpful answers before you bake.
Does this contain molasses?
No. It is shortbread flavored with gingerbread spices and crystallized ginger.
Why prick with a fork?
Docking helps release steam and reduces unwanted puffing.
When should I cut the fingers?
Cut after a brief pan rest while still warm, then let the pieces cool fully before moving.
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