Apricot-Ginger Slice and Bakes

How did this happen?  I let December 1st pass without mentioning the fact that it was the 2nd year anniversary of Anush Lini.  Luckily, it is never too late to celebrate, and today has a most auspicious date of 12-12-12.  First things first.  Thank you!  I love sharing with you, and I’m so honored that you spend a few minutes of your day reading my baking ramblings!  The butter count for the past year was a rotund 45.75 sticks.  Ok, ok, I know I shouldn’t be using that many significant figures, but there it is.  I’m going there.  That is just shy of 23 cups.  Good thing all of that butter wasn’t eaten all at once!

   
The good news about celebrating 2 years and today’s 107th post is that the recipe I’m about to share with you is amazing.  I know that I tell you that there are certain recipes that you have to try, but this time I mean it!  Scott has declared these to be one of the best cookies I’ve ever made.  You should trust his palate.  I do.  There is something really special about these cookies.  Like the Vanilla Bean Slice and Bakes, these melt away in your mouth, but the ginger and apricot combination really takes them to the next level.  They are perfection in a cookie form.

I suppose I should warn you that these cookies may give you a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality.  You’re going to want to share them with all of your friends because something this delicious shouldn’t be hidden.  On the other hand, you may find yourself hoarding them away for personal consumption or giving someone the stink eye because they took the last one.  I am happy to report that I shared 90% of these cookies and even managed to split the last one with Scott.  When you’re closing in on 23 cups of blogging butter in a year, sharing is a good thing. 

Notes:
Use nice plump dried apricots to make these.  Measure the dried apricot and candied ginger after you’ve chopped it.  The easiest way to divide the dough in half is to use a scale; if you don’t have a scale, just eyeball it.  Use coarse decorating sugar to coat these cookies.  You can use granulated sugar, but coarse decorating sugar will form a nice, crunchy coating.  You should freeze the dough log for at least one hour.  I wrap mine in parchment paper and then in a layer of plastic wrap.  If needed, you can freeze the shaped dough for about two weeks.  Make sure that the dough is frozen when you slice it.  Rotate the cylinder every few slices so you don’t flatten one side of the cylinder.

Adapted from Vanilla Bean Slice and Bakes (and therefore Martha Stewart's Cookies: The Very Best Treats to Bake and to Share)

Cookie Ingredients:
2 cups (262 g) all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon (2 g) salt
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground ginger
½ cup (74 g) finely chopped dried apricots
½ cup (79 g) finely chopped candied ginger
1 cup (2 sticks; 222 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup (58 g) powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sugar Coating Ingredients:
1 egg white
1 teaspoon cold water
Coarse decorating sugar

Yields about 4 dozen cookies

Whisk, Cream, Mix, Shape, Freeze:
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, salt, and ground ginger, and set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix together the finely chopped apricot and crystallized ginger, and set aside.  In a third separate bowl, cream together the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, about two minutes.  Add the vanilla extract to the butter mixture, and beat until incorporated.  Add the flour mixture, and beat until just combined.  Stir in the apricot and ginger mixture with a wooden spoon.  Divide the mixture in half, and shape into cylinders that are about 1¼-inches in diameter.  To shape the cylinders, first cut two pieces of wax or parchment paper.  Pat the dough into a log that is a little bit bigger than 1¼-inches in diameter.  Begin to roll the dough to smooth it out into a nice, smooth cylinder.  Use a bench scraper or ruler to tuck the wax or parchment paper tightly against the dough as your roll it; this will help to pull the dough into a cylinder.  Once evenly shaped, wrap the cylinders well, and freeze them on a level surface for at least one hour.    

Coat, Slice, Bake:
Adjust the oven racks to the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 350ºF.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats, and set aside.  In a small bowl, combine the egg white and teaspoon of cold water, and beat with a fork until frothy. Remove one of the dough cylinders from the freezer, and remove the wrapping.  Place the wax or parchment paper that the cylinder was wrapped in on the counter, and sprinkle some decorating sugar on it.  Use a pastry brush to generously coat the cylinder with the egg white mixture.  Roll the cylinder in the decorating sugar until the cylinder is heavily coated.  If you miss a few spots, that is ok.  Place the coated cylinder on a cutting board, and use a sharp, thin knife to slice it into pieces that are ¼-inch thick.  If the edges are not fully coated with the sugar, wheel the edge of the slice through the sugar again until nicely coated.  Place the slices on the prepared cookie sheets.  Repeat with the second cylinder.  Bake the cookies at 350ºF for 12-15 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned.  Remove from the baking sheets, and cool on a wire rack.  Once fully cooled, store in an airtight container between layers of wax paper.

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