Ginger Love

Growing up a few of my friends and I had a tradition of making decorating gingerbread houses every holiday season.  This wasn't because I loved gingerbread, I think it was more about a fun activity with friends, creativity, and of course an excuse to eat lots of frosting.

Eek, hopefully they won't mind me posting this ;)

Ginger cookies were never really quite my thing either.  But my grown up palate (for which I am entirely grateful) somehow got turned onto ginger (fresh and crystallized), and before I knew it I was addicted to Trader Joe's Ginger Cats.  The last time I bought them I immediately turned the container into crumbs so I would have a chance to bake with them instead of eating them ;)

Looking at my recent blog posts, you may have noticed the prominence of crystallized ginger in my Ginger Magic Bars, Crystallized Ginger Brownies and White Chocolate Wasabi Truffles...  all posted in the matter of a week!   I thought it was about time to tell you what has inspired all of these creations- a new find at Whole Foods, Australian Crystallized Ginger Chunks.

Distinct from the crystallized ginger I have bought in the past, it doesn't come completely caked in huge sugar crystals.  Instead, good-sized chunks of ginger are subtly sweet and delicious all in their own right.  They aren't as fibrous, either, and soft enough to easily cut them into a dice for incorporation into baked goods.  The only catch is that it's more expensive, but in my opinion the lower sugar and taste are worth it!


Have you ever tried Australian Crystallized Ginger, or have a favorite brand/type of ginger?