Ginger Grapefruit Thumbprints

Seeing as I had a pile of grapefruit calling to me this morning, and I was feeling a little adventurous, I thought I would combine a ginger grapefruit curd with thumbprint cookies.  Yum!  The fabulous curd recipe comes from 101 Cookbooks.  It is, in one word, AWESOME!  I love the idea of the ginger combined with the reduced grapefruit juice.  It gives a rich undertone of flavors.  Plus, curd is a favorite Sunday treat here at our house.  It has oodles of butter... so limited to Sunday... but worth the wait during the week!

I used a paté sucrée for the cookie base and coated it with grapefruit zested sugar before baking.  It adds one more layer of flavor and a pretty little sparkle to the cookies.  These would be a darling early spring treat for a baby shower or bookclub, or even Easter... after all, they look like eggs!  They are feminine and dainty, and the brightness of the grapefruit just makes you smile when you pop one into your mouth!

GINGER GRAPEFRUIT THUMBPRINTS

backyard farmgals 

GRAPEFRUIT ZESTED SUGAR:

1/2 cup organic cane sugar

1 tbsp grapefruit zest

Combine the sugar and zest and spread on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Place in a 350º oven for 3-5 minutes, just until the zest dries out just a bit.  Take care not to melt the sugar.  Remove from the oven, let cool.  Place in a food processor with the blade attachment and pulse, just to break up any clumps.  You don't want to grind it or make it superfine.  Set aside.

GINGER GRAPEFRUIT CURD:

from 101 cookbooks

1 cup grapefruit juice

5 tbsp softened, room temperature butter

1/2 cup sugar or 1/4 cup honey

2 large egg yolks, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

1/8 tsp sea salt

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp fresh ginger juice (made by pressing grated ginger through a strainer)

Simmer grapefruit juice in a saucepan over medium heat, reducing to 1/2 cup.  Let cool.

Cream the butter in a small stainless steel bowl (you will use the bowl as a double broiler later).  Add the sugar and beat until fluffy and light.  Add the yolks and then the eggs, beating well after each addition.  Stir in the salt and then add the grapefruit, lemon, and ginger juices, working the juices in as you go.  

Fill a saucepan 1/3 full with water and place over medium-high heat until the water simmers.  Place the stainless steel bowl of curd over the simmering water.  Stir constantly and heat the curd slowly enough that the sugar has time to dissolve (about 10 minutes).  Pull the curd from the heat when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  It will thicken more as it cools.  Allow to cool to room temperature. 

Keeps refrigerated for 2 weeks or frozen for up to a month.

PATÉ SUCRÉE

Modified from Alice Waters: The Art of Simple Food

8 tbsp butter

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg yolk

1 1/4 cup flour

Beat the butter and sugar together until creamy.  Add the salt, vanilla, and egg yolk and mix until completely combined.  Add the flour and mix well until there are no dry patches.  Chill for 4 hours or up to overnight.  Allow to sit at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before forming.

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, roll in grapefruit sugar, place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Press your thumb firmly into the middle of each ball.  Chill for 10 minutes.  Bake at 350º for 12 minutes until lightly browned.  Fill with curd and bake for another 5 minutes until curd is set.