Lemon Ginger Heartwheels

You had me at lemon and ginger.  The cute design sealed my intention to try this recipe.  I made them heartwheels instead of pinwheels because Valentine's day is just around the corner.

I was very pleased with the way these cookies look, and the dough was easy to work with.  However I must have baked them too long because they are rock hard.  My son said, 'Wow, these are some crunchy cookies!'  He enjoyed eating them with his back teeth.  Next time I'll slice them thinner before baking so we won't break a tooth, and I'll be careful to take them out of the oven on time.  If this recipe had more butter and sugar, the cookies would turn out tender no matter what.  These cookies are relatively low in fat and calories while still being tasty, crunchy and fun to eat so I'm okay with this trade off.  I was also disappointed with the low lemon flavor.  Maybe there is plenty of lemon zest, but it is almost completely overpowered by the spicy ginger cookie.  If I make these cookies again, I will cut back on the amount of spices in the ginger dough. 

These cookies were fun to bake, and I'll definitely try more swirled cookies, but I'll keep looking for the perfect pinwheel recipe.

Ginger Lemon Heartwheels

recipe from Cooking Light Best Baking Recipes 2011

For the lemon dough:

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

1 large egg white

zest of one large or two small organic lemons

6 ounces (or 1 1/3 level cups) all purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

For the ginger dough:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg yolk

6 ounces (or 1 1/3 level cups) all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Make the lemon dough:

Cream the butter and sugar in a medium bowl with a mixer for about three minutes.  Add the lemon zest and then the egg white and continue mixing.  Add the flour and salt at low speed and mix until just combined.  Use your hands to finish bringing the dough together if it seems too dry.  Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Make the ginger dough:

Using the same mixing bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar for about 3 minutes until well blended.  Add the molasses and egg yolk and continue mixing.  Add the flour and spices at low speed and mix until just combined.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and regrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Unwrap the lemon dough and lay it on a peice of plastic wrap.  Cover the dough with another large peice of plastic wrap and roll the it out between the two sheets.  Try to make a rectangle 13 X 9 inches.  Place on a cookie sheet or tray.  Unwrap the ginger dough and roll it out between two sheets of plastic wrap in the same way.  Aim for 13 X 81/2 inches for the ginger dough, then stack it (still in plastic) on the lemon dough and chill 10 minutes.

Take the chilled dough out and lay the lemon out on the counter.  Peel the plastic off the top (the bottom will still be on plastic).  Unwrap the ginger dough and place it on top of the lemon, leaving a 1/2 inch border along one long edge.  Starting with the long side without a border, roll up into a log using the bottom piece of plastic to pull it tight.  Pinch and seal the long edge, but not the ends.  If you are making heartwheels, roll one long side of the dough with the roller to make a point like the edge of a triangle.  Now, using a butter knife, press an indentation in the opposite side to make the top of the heart shape.  If you want round cookies, just skip this step. Once you are satisfied with the shape of the log, cover well with plastic wrap and freeze 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Unwrap dough and slice cookies about 1/4 inch thick.  Arrange on baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned.  If you do not wish to bake all the cookies right away, place the remaining dough in the freezer until you're ready to use it.

Comments

[sonya]

Thanks Meredith!

[Meredith]

You make everything look and taste beautiful!!!!!!