Ginger-Curry Sugar Cookies
By Celebrity Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini. Makes about 4 dozen cookies.
“Plain sugar cookies, no matter how well they are made, are a bit boring to me. You may think I have gone off the rails by adding curry powder to cookies, but along with the ground and candied ginger, the combo really wakes up a classic American cookie. Give these a shot!” – Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini
INGREDIENTS
- 10 tablespoons (1. sticks) cold unsalted butter, diced (140 g)
- 1 large egg
- Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
- 1 ½ cups plus 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (208 g)
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar (90 g)
- 1 teaspoons ground ginger (3 g)
- 1 teaspoon mild curry powder (2 g)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt (2 g)
- Demerara sugar, for rolling
- 2 large egg yolks, beaten
- Maldon sea salt, as needed
- 24 one-inch pieces crystallized ginger, halved crosswise
DIRECTIONS
- In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-low speed for about 5 minutes, until a thick paste forms with no lumps of butter. Add the whole egg and vanilla seeds and mix until combined.
- Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, confectioners’ sugar, ginger, and curry powder; sprinkle the kosher salt over the top. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter and mix until just combined.
- Divide the dough between 2 sheets of parchment and form into long thin logs, about 1 ½ inches in diameter. Fold the paper over the dough roll and use a pastry scraper to tighten the dough log. Use your hands to smooth and form the dough into as perfect a cylinder as you can. Refrigerate until firm.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.
- Using 2 hands, roll the dough logs firmly on a work surface to round out any edges. Sprinkle the Demerara sugar onto another baking sheet. Unwrap the dough and, using a pastry brush, brush the surface with beaten egg yolk. Roll the dough in the sugar and slice it with a sharp knife into ¼-inch-thick slices. Brush the surface of each cookie with beaten yolk, sprinkle a few flakes of Maldon salt on top, and press a piece of crystallized ginger into the center of each cookie.
- Space the cookies about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets and bake for 15 to 16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the edges are just beginning to turn golden.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reprinted from SUGAR RUSH. Copyright © 2014 by Johnny Iuzzini. Photographs copyright © 2014 by Johnny Iuzzini and Michael Spain-Smith. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House LLC.
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