Let’s talk ginger.
Not the hair (although that would be fun too because I happened to have given birth to ginger baby). The vegetable. Or as most refer to it, the herb or spice.
Are you a fan?
After seeing this recipe you will be, in one form or another. Of this I am confident.
Know why I am so confident? Because it is a subtle infusion.
It’s a hint of ginger. An essence if you will.
I started out with a beautiful ginger infused caramel.
But before I get into that you probably want to know why I am making ginger-infused caramels. Well, a little while back I was asked to participate in a challenge for Caribou Coffee.
Challenge: create a new holiday recipe inspired by Caribou Coffee’s Gingersnap Cookie Mocha using ground or fresh ginger.
Once I saw the challenge was from Caribou Coffee I jumped at the chance to participate. My husband is a huge fan of the coffee as well as the fabulous local coffee houses and spends a good deal of time there most weekday mornings.
But then I got totally thrown off by the whole “ginger” thing. Shy of making their exact coffee blend into a cookie, how was I going to create a sweet and delicious treat inspired by ginger?
1. Make it into caramels.
2. The end.
Kidding.
I had my heart set on a cookie.
My vision was a decadent cookie resting precariously on the side of a steaming coffee mug in front of a roaring fire. Feet up, cozy slippers on, Christmas music in the background and children happily reading books next to me.
As with all visions, it should start with baby steps. So first, the caramels.
Next, the decadent cookie.
I knew I wanted to stuff that amazing carmel into a cookie dough, but finding the perfect dough was a challenge. Most chocolate cookies that I tried were cocoa based and couldn’t hold their own when paired with the caramel.
But, I finally was able to find a recipe that worked. This recipe uses only actual chocolate to flavor the cookie which is exactly the pure and intense zing I was going for!
Ginger Caramel Recipe
So the cookie isn’t resting on the mug, but I think next to it will do.
Tips & Tricks
I recommend making the caramels at least one day before making the cookies. They worked best cooled to room temperature and cut into squares.
If you are using crystallized ginger make sure you chop it into VERY very small pieces. (After a great deal of feedback I think my pieces on the cookies above were much too big and too close together.) It is extremely potent stuff and will overpower the chocolate & caramels. When placing the pieces onto the hot cookie, try sprinkling it like it is sanding sugar. Make sure the pieces are spread out over the cookie as much as possible.
The dough can be made 1-2 days in advance and kept in the fridge. Cookies will last about 1 week in an airtight container.
HINT: Put the cookies in an airtight container that is slightly bigger than you would need. Set cookies in, then place a piece of bread in the container. The bread will turn hard and the cookies will stay soft!
We have decadent cookies. We have a hot cup of fabulous Caribou Coffee.
I guess the only thing left is the roaring fire, and I think that is up to you. You can check out a review of the brand for further reading about Keto Diet. The rest of it… well. I will just be happy with the cookies.…
