Ginger biscuits, sometimes called gingersnaps or ginger cookies, are perfect to dip into your favorite tea or coffee. They are crispier than shortbread and filled with fiery ginger goodness…a flavor I really dive into during the holiday season.
My gluten-free vegan version comes to together rapidly – about one hour from that thought, ‘I want biscuits’ to pulling them out of the oven and wondering how to resist grabbing one before they cool. Store any leftover biscuits in an airtight container for 2 weeks (but I’m guessing they won’t last that long).
Difficulty: simple
Yield: makes about 20-24
Ingredients
250 grams (1 1/4-cups) gluten-free flour mix (see tips below)
20 grams rice starch
10 grams (1 teaspoon) baking soda
10 grams (1 large tablespoon) dried ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
20 grams (1 large tablespoon) fresh ginger, grated
75 grams unprocessed rapeseed oil
150 grams brown sugar (see tips below)
60 grams unsweetened soy milk
1/2 teaspoon apple vinegar
natural cane sugar for rolling
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C (330°F) using the convection fan (be sure to add about 5-10°C or 20°F) to your temperature if you bake without the fan.
Sift together the gluten-free flour, rice starch, baking soda, dried ginger and ground cloves into a large mixing bowl. Add the fresh ginger and mix well to combine.
Next, mx together the rapeseed oil and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Mix just to combine – I use a spatula and stir the mixture well. Add the soy milk and vinegar and continue to mix until you reach a consistency like cream.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients – mix 3-4 spoons at a time, making sure to fold well between additions. The dough should be moist, but not sticky. Add a touch more starch to the mixture if it is too sticky.
Moisten your hands with water and begin to break off walnut-size pieces (I like to weigh the portions to ensure consistency and measure 25 grams, which is just shy of one ounce). Roll into a smooth ball, then coat with natural sugar. Flatten slightly…and make sure to leave a bit of room on your baking tray as the biscuits will spread.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, then cool for 30 minutes before enjoying. The biscuits will harden as they cool. Choose the longer baking time for extra crispy – perfect for dunking into tea.
Tips and Variations
The gluten-free flour mix I use has a mixture of corn flour, corn starch, guar gum and carob powder. This is an example of a good mixture that works for most recipes. There are dozens of options on the internet for making your own mixture, so let your fingers do the searching. My advice is to always use a 50% ratio – meaning 1/2 GF flour (corn, lupine, brown rice, etc.) and 1/2 starch (tapioca, rice, corn, potato, etc.). Gum is also included for added stability (think xanthan, guar, etc.), but only in small amounts – usually about 1 1/2 teaspoon per 500 grams (4 cups) of flour mixture.
The extra rice starch helps to create a crispy biscuit. Feel free to use other types of starch, like tapioca, corn or potato.
The unprocessed rapeseed oil is important. When heat is applied to this oil, it will release a butter-like aroma – something that will not happen with processed rapeseed oil. You can use extra virgin olive oil as a substitute but the aroma will change slightly – still good, but not excellent.
The brown sugar important. The kind you want is a soft version, which is essentially caster sugar (extra fine white sugar) mixed with about 10% molasses and sifted. The presence of the molasses adds an acid to the mixture, which reacts with the baking soda to create a slight leavening. The texture of the soft sugar and flavor of the molasses adds the distinctive flavor and color to the biscuit.