My mum loved a Ginger Nut — they always make me think of her. I didn’t pay much attention to them when I was younger and I wouldn’t buy a packet now, but a homemade ginger nut is a different story. These biscuits have a proper fiery gingery heat and are especially good topped with a wedge of blue cheese and a thin slice of pear.
This recipe uses two forms of ginger — grated fresh ginger for sharp heat and ground ginger for deep, warming spice. The cookies bake until golden and crisp, making them ideal for snacking and for assembling into elegant canapés.
GINGER NUTS WITH STILTON, PEAR & CANDIED PECANS – A CANAPE
A delicious sweet-and-savoury canapé that’s quick to assemble and full of flavour.
Ingredients
- 40 g pecans
- 30 g caster sugar
- 10 g salted butter
- 2 sprigs thyme leaves picked
- 1 pear thinly sliced
- 200 g wedge of stilton sliced to your preferred thickness
- salt & freshly ground black pepper
GINGER NUTS
- 100 g salted butter
- 75 g light brown soft sugar
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 100 g golden syrup
- 250 g self-raising flour
- 1.5 tbsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 small egg yolk
Instructions
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Make the ginger nuts first. In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, light brown sugar, grated fresh ginger and golden syrup. Warm over low-medium heat, stirring gently, until everything has melted and is well combined. In a separate bowl, sift together the self-raising flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda. Pour the butter mixture into the dry ingredients, add the egg yolk and mix until just combined. Chill the dough in the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.
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Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan-assisted) and line two baking trays with parchment paper.
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Portion the dough into 15g pieces and roll each into a ball. Place the balls on the prepared trays, spacing them apart. Bake for 10–12 minutes until golden with crisp edges. Transfer to a cooling rack.
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To make the candied pecans, combine the pecans, caster sugar, butter, thyme leaves and a pinch of salt in a small frying pan. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring frequently for 4–5 minutes, until the sugar melts and coats the nuts in a glossy syrup. Immediately spread the nuts onto a lined tray and separate them with forks so they don’t stick together. Leave to cool and harden for about 10 minutes — be careful, the sugar will be very hot.
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Once the biscuits and pecans are cool, assemble the canapés. Arrange the ginger nuts on a serving board, top each with a thin pear slice, a chunk of stilton, and a candied pecan. Finish with a crack of black pepper and an extra thyme leaf if you like.
Recipe Notes
This ginger nut recipe is adapted from a recipe by Liberty Mendez.
These sweet-and-savoury canapés pair beautifully with a warm non-alcoholic drink. For more ideas and photos, follow the author’s social channels or browse their recipe collection.