INSTRUCTION
Put the butter and sugar into a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon, then beat in the egg yolk and vanilla extract. Sift together the flour and salt into the mixture and stir until thoroughly combined.
Divide the dough in half. Add the ginger and orange rind to one half and mix well. Shape the dough into a log 15 cm / 6 inches long. Flatten then sides and top to square off the log to 5 cm / 2 inches high. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30 – 60 minutes. Add the cocoa to the other half of the dough and mix well. Shape into a flattened log exactly the same size as the first one, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30 – 60 minutes.
Unwrap the dough and cut each flattened log length ways into three slices. Cut each slice length ways into three strips. Brush the strips with egg white and stack them in threes, alternating the colours, so they are the same shape as the original logs. Wrap in clingfilm and chill in the refrigerator for 30 – 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190’C / 375’F / Gas Mark 5. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Unwrap the logs and cut into slices with a sharp serrated knife. Put the cookies on the prepared baking trays, spaced well apart. Bake in the preheated oven 12 – 15 minutes, until firm. Leave to cool for 5 – 10 minutes, then carefully transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
INGREDIENTS
- 225 g / 8 oz Butter, softened
- 140 g / 5 oz Caster sugar
- 1 Egg yolk, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp Vanilla extract
- 280 g / 10 oz Plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tsp Ground ginger
- 1 tbsp Finely grated orange rind
- 1 tbsp Cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 Egg white, lightly beaten
Making & Baking 