Coffee-Spice Shortbread with Crystallized Ginger

We enjoyed a leisurely day yesterday, putting lights on our Christmas tree and making a double batch of Barefoot Contessa's Chicken Pot Pie filling. While John worked on the chicken pot pies, I baked Coffee-Spice Shortbread cookies from the latest issue of Bon Appetit. They are light and crumbly, with just the right amount of coffee and spice. I made a few modifications, using Muscavado sugar still on hand from Bobby Flay's Pumpkin Pie, and a touch of coffee liqueur in the glaze. The crystallized ginger contributes sensational flavor and texture. Highly recommended for the coffee lover, and utterly addictive!

Coffee-Spice Shortbread with Crystallized Ginger
Slightly adapted from Bon Appetit, December 2010
Makes 24

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup (packed) India Tree Dark Muscavado Baking Sugar (or dark brown sugar)
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons ground coffee beans
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
6 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger

For the glaze:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons (or more) coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua (or water)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Special Equipment: Two 9-inch-diameter tart pans with removable bottom

Preheat to 325°F.

Combine flour, brown sugar, ground coffee, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times. Add half of the butter cubes, pulse a few times; add the remaining butter cubes and pulse again a few times until incorporated. The dough will not come together. Dump the dough out on a clean work surface and gather into a ball. It will barely hold together. Divide dough equally between the two tart pans, and press dough firmly and evenly onto bottom.

Bake about 45 minutes, until shortbread is golden brown and firm around edges, but center is still just slightly soft. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove pan sides. Cut warm shortbread in each pan into 12 wedges. Cool completely.

For glaze, whisk powdered sugar, Kahlua (or water), and vanilla in small bowl, adding more Kahlua (or water) by 1/4 teaspoonfuls, if necessary, for spreadable glaze. Using offset spatula, spread glaze thinly over cookies, leaving 1/2-inch border at edges (I used a small spoon and just spooned the glaze over the top of the shortbread cookies). Sprinkle crystallized ginger over the glaze and let stand until glaze is set, about 1 hour.