Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 3/4 stick unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon Lyle's Golden Syrup (British cane sugar syrup)
  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method

  • Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 13- by 9-inch metal baking pan.
  • Sift together dry ingredients and blend in butter with your fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal.
  • Press evenly into bottom of pan (base will be thin).
  • Bake in middle of oven until golden and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
  • Melt butter in a small saucepan and whisk in remaining ingredients until smooth.
  • Bring to a boil and simmer, stirring, 30 seconds.
  • Remove shortbread from oven and pour topping over, tilting pan to cover shortbread evenly.
  • Cool in pan on a rack, then cut into small rectangles (8 rows lengthwise and 8 crosswise).