Crystallized Ginger Shortbread

4.58 from 7 votes

When butter meets crystallized ginger, wonderful things happen. An easy and flavorful bar cookie recipe that's super easy.

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Chilling and Cooling Time1

Total Time2

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: People

Preheat the oven to 300 F.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar. Beat in the salt, then the flour, and then the vanilla. Finally, beat in the crystallized ginger. The dough will appear crumbly but then hold together when you pinch it.
Press the dough into an 8-inch square baking pan so that the top is flat and the dough is even. Score the top with a sharp knife into 36 small squares. Place the pan in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge for at least an hour until it firms up slightly.
Bake for about 40 minutes minutes, until just very slightly colored; the edges will be just a bit browned. Remove the cookies to a wire rack and cool for 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully flip the shortbread, turn it right side up, and cool completely on the rack out of the pan.
Place the shortbread on a cutting board and, using a large sharp knife, cut squares following the lines you scored in the dough before baking.

You can make the shortbread dough and let it chill in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can freeze both the unbaked and baked shortbread dough for up to 3 months. Thaw the unbaked shortbread overnight in the refrigerator before baking.
If you want a more intense ginger flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger to the butter mixture.
The baked shortbread will stay well in a sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days.