These little Ginger Kisses use dried ginger & ginger syrup in the sponge base. Sandwiched together with a ginger buttercream icing these are delicious Kisses.

Ingredients

Sponge

50 g Potato starch

1 1/2 tsp Ginger (dried)

1/2 tsp Cream of tartar

1/4 tsp Bicarb of soda

20 g Brown sugar

30 g Ginger syrup 

2 Eggs

 

Icing

100 g Butter (softened)

40 g Brown sugar

150 g Ginger syrup

 

extra icing sugar for dusting

Method

Sponge

If you keep your eggs in the fridge 1/2 fill the kitchen sink with hot tap water. Put the eggs in the hot tap water for 10 mins. If you keep your eggs at room temperature warm the eggs up by placing them in a dish of warm water (slightly hotter than 37 C).

Turn oven on to 175 C.

Sift together the starch, ginger, cream of tartar & bicarb three times into a mixing bowl.

Line two baking trays with baking paper.

Cut another piece of baking paper the size of the tray. This piece will be used as a template for the kisses. Use a dark marking pen to trace around a circular object, I use a pastry cutter with a diameter of 48 mm. I usually mark out 5 rows of 4 & a single row of 3. Leave sufficient room between the circles as the mixture will expand during cooking. Place this baking paper on one of the trays underneath the baking paper that is there already.

Put the ginger syrup & brown sugar into a mixing bowl suitable for a stand mixer or hand held beaters.

Add in the eggs & whisk/beat until soft peaks form (photo below). I usually set the timer for 7 mins however, the length of time to reach soft peaks will vary between mixers.     

Transfer ~50 g of the egg mix to the sifted starch mix. Stir to combine, make sure there are no lumps in the mix - the egg mix will deflate. If you have the patience fold the egg mix into the starch. I always have the intention of folding it in but then I get a little impatient & end up quickly mixing it.

Fold the rest of the egg mix into the egg/starch mix. To fold put a spatula/scrapper into the centre of the bowl & push it down through the mix until it reaches the bottom of the bowl. Bring the spatula toward you all the time scrapping the bottom of the bowl. When the spatula is at the edge of the bowl bring it up out of the mix & with a twist of your hand (90 - 180 degree clockwise turn if right handed) turn the spatula over. The mix that was on top of the spatula will now fall back into the middle of the mix. Rotate the bowl clockwise with your left hand while repeating the spatula movement. Ensure the mix has a uniform consistency before proceeding.

This batter is not stable (it will start to deflate) & needs to be used reasonably quickly. The batter can be transferred to the baking tray by spooning the batter or using a piping bag with a large plain nozzle (size 15). The batter is quite runny so if you are using a piping bag you need to stop the batter running out. Either stopper the nozzle or twist the piping bag just above the end of the nozzle & push it a little way into the nozzle (to stop it from unwinding). 

If using a piping bag keep the end of the nozzle up before taking the stopper off or untwisting the bag. You do not need to put pressure on the bag, the batter will flow freely out. "Pipe" a blob of the batter in the middle of a circle leaving ~0.5 cm around it. Lift up the tip of the nozzle & "pipe" the next blob. The batter will spread a little. 

When the first tray is full secure the piping bag to prevent the batter from running out (top & bottom - I usually lift up the nozzle, resting it on something & fold over the top of the bag). Gently slide out the template from under the baking paper with the blobs on it. Transfer the template to the other baking tray putting it underneath the unmarked baking paper.

Repeat making batter blobs.

When both trays are full put them in the oven & bake for ~6 mins.

Bring the trays out of the oven & allow the sponge blobs to cool completely. They will deflate. While I was working on this recipe I made a batch that held their shape however they were very dry.

Icing

To make the buttercream as smooth as possible I whizzed the brown sugar in my Thermomix.

Cream the butter & brown sugar until the mixture is light & fluffy. You may need to stop the mixer every now & then to scrape down the sides.

Stop the mixer, add ~50 g of the ginger syrup and continue beating.

When the syrup is incorporated stop the mixer, scrape down the sides and add another ~50 g.

Continue beating until the syrup is completely incorporated. Taste a little of the icing to check the flavour - if you think it has a good ginger flavour don't add the last 50 g of syrup.

Turn the mixer down & gradually add the remaining syrup. Beat until the syrup is incorporated.

Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.

Assembling the kisses

Loosen the sponge blobs of the baking paper by peeling them off it. Turn half of them over. 

Pipe some of the icing onto each of the upturned sponge blobs.

Top with another sponge blob & gently press down.

Dust with icing sugar & enjoy.