Ginger swirl cookies.

 

 

To make the ginger and the lemon cookie dough you start with butter, unsalted if you have it. Unsalted lets you decide exactly how much salt you want in in your recipe and it seems to help keep the butter from getting too soft too quickly.

 

 

For the ginger dough you need a half stick of butter

 

 

For the lemon you need 5 tablespoons of butter.

 

 

Into the ginger dough bowl add brown sugar,

 

 

and molasses. I couldn’t find a 1/4 cup measure so I’ve got this tiny thing. It works, 2/8ths works too.

 

 

 

 

Into the lemon dough bowl add sugar.

 

 

cream butter and sugar together in each bowl.

 

 

Then get an egg and give the yolk to the ginger dough and the white to the lemon dough and mix together.

 

 

Add flour and salt to each bowl.

 

 

Add ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to the ginger dough.

 

 

For the lemon dough you shouldn’t do like I did here. You should make sure you have a lemon in the house before you start so you can add grated lemon peal for a good lemony flavor. Lemon extract just doesn’t give much flavor.

 

 

Mix each dough and make into balls, wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or overnight.

 

 

Roll out each dough on plastic wrap. If you’re a coupon clipping penny pinching compulsive recycler and are re-using plastic wrap for the 10th time you might want to get a new piece for this.

 

 

With the help of the plastic wrap  layer the ginger dough onto the lemon dough leaving about 1/2” offset. 

 

 

Roll the dough up

 

 

Wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

 

 

Slice into 1/4” slices and place on greased baking sheets.

 

 

Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes or until just lightly browned on the bottoms.

 

 

 

Eat now, or freeze for later.

 

 

Ginger-Lemon Pinwheel Cookies

    Adapted from Cooking Light

 

Ginger dough:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 large egg yolk
•   1 1/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour 
•   3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• Dash of ground allspice

 

Lemon dough:

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg white
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

 

Preparation

    1. For the ginger dough, place 1/2 stick of butter and brown sugar in a bowl; Cream together. Add molasses and egg yolk; beat until well blended. add flour, ginger, cinnamon,salt, nutmeg, and allspice; and combine. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill 30 minutes.
    2. For the lemon dough, place 5 tablespoons butter and sugar in a bowl; cream together. Add egg white; beat until blended. Beat in rind and vanilla. Add flour and salt to butter mixture; and combine. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour .

    3. Unwrap ginger dough. Roll ginger dough between sheets of plastic wrap into a 13 x 8 1/2–inch rectangle (3/16 inch thick).  Unwrap lemon dough. Roll out lemon dough between sheets of plastic wrap into a 13 x 9–inch rectangle. Carefully layer ginger dough on top of lemon dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border along one long edge. Starting with the long side without a border, roll up dough. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate for at least an hour or freeze 30 minutes.
    5. Unwrap dough. Cut with a sharp knife into slices (about 1/4 inch thick). Reshape rounds, if necessary. Arrange slices 1 inch apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 8 to 9 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.