A Recipe for Ginger Cookies with a Wasabi Glaze (from the Archives)
It's cookie szn, bby
Seeing holiday cookie content appear this time of year always makes me feel a certain kind of way. It’s the same kind of subtle thrill you get when you throw on your pea coat the moment the temperatures dip underneath the fifties, or when you finally unearth the Christmas decorations from that cardboard box up in the attic immediately after Thanksgiving weekend—the novelty of a new season, I guess. Every December, I gleefully look forward to sitting down and channeling my creativity into dreaming up what’ll be the perfect cookie box to give to friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers. Something chocolate, something fruity, something spiced. Something soft and cakey to balance out the crispy and crunchy. (You know how it goes). As somebody whose (giving) love language has always involved food in some way, a tradition like this where I can experiment with different flavors and do something special for the people I love always gives me immense joy.
I guess that was my long-winded way of telling you that I wrapped up my first round of holiday cookie boxes this past weekend—and I’m really freaking proud of this one, you guys. But with office holiday parties and church potlucks still on the horizon, the baking isn’t over yet; I’m still on the hunt for some good ideas.
If you’re still looking for some unique recipes for your cookie tin, look no further. This week’s dispatch is a recipe from the Dill archives that I’m excited to share: fresh ginger cookies with a wasabi glaze. (A fun twist on gingerbread, if you will). OG subscribers might remember this recipe from a couple years ago—but we’ve garnered a lot more new friends since then, so I thought it’d be worth bringing back this gem. These cookies are light and mildly sweet, but they’re packed with the gentle heat of fresh ginger and wasabi. These guys come out of the oven crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. However, once cooled, glazed, and stored in an airtight container for a day, they turn softer, cakier, and slightly chewy.
Be sure to slice the ginger thinly against the grain as instructed. Even though the ginger will be pureed, it’s still important to shorten the fiber that runs along the length of the root. Buy a little more ginger than you need so that after the peeling and the trimming, you’ll have enough for the recipe.
Have a great rest of the week, everyone. Please do let me know what you’re baking this year—would love to hear recipes, ideas, etc.!
Makes about 32 (2 1/4-inch) cookies
4 ounces peeled and trimmed fresh ginger
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons wasabi powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons water
Slice the ginger against the grain into thin coins. Blend into a smooth puree. Measure out 1/2 cup to use.
Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda; set aside.
With an electric mixer, beat the butter on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the brown sugar, 1/4 cup at a time, until well combined. Add the egg and the ginger puree and continue to beat until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl along the way.
Stir in the flour mixture, 1/3 at a time; beat on low just until combined after each addition. The dough will be soft and sticky.
Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set a rack in the middle. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll the dough into 1 1/4-inch balls and arrange them, about 1 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake the cookies, one sheet at a time. Place the baking sheet on the prepared rack and bake for 8 minutes. Turn the sheet and bake until the tops of the cookies turn the color of light brown sugar, about 8 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and bake the cookies on the other baking sheet in the same way. Cool the cookies completely.
Stir together the powdered sugar, wasabi powder, and water until smooth. Drizzle the glaze on the cookies. Enjoy right away or, for softer and chewier cookies, after storing them in an airtight container at room temperature for 24 hours.