Kūmara Ginger Kisses

Makes 10

• 175g plain white flour, sifted
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 150g brown sugar
• 75g butter, softened
• 3 tbsp golden syrup
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 100g roasted kūmara flesh, roughly mashed (see notes)
• 2 eggs

KŪMARA BUTTERCREAM

• 150g roasted kūmara flesh, roughly mashed (see notes)
• 200g butter, softened
• 400g icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Combine the first 6 ingredients in a large bowl.

Put the brown sugar, butter, golden syrup and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

Put the mashed kūmara and egg in a food processor or blender, and blend just until smooth.

With the stand mixer on medium, slowly add the kūmara mixture. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the dry ingredients, mixing only enough to combine. You should have a thick, soft dough.

Scoop 25g (about 2 tbsp) measures of dough, and place on a large plate. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes until firm enough to handle, then gently form into balls. Try not to handle them too much. Place back on your plate and freeze for a further 30 minutes, until firm.

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake and line 3 large baking trays with baking paper.

Place the chilled dough balls on the prepared baking trays, spacing them 4cm apart. Bake for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown, risen and spring back when gently pressed. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

To make the Kūmara Buttercream, first purée the mashed kūmara in a small food processor until smooth.

Clean out the bowl and paddle attachment of the stand mixer. Add the butter to the bowl and beat on medium-high for 3 minutes, until light and creamy. Add the icing sugar in roughly ½-cup amounts, beating well between each addition, until light and fluffy. Finally beat in the kūmara purée and lemon juice to combine.

Once the cookies have cooled completely, fill a piping bag with the buttercream. Flip half of the cookies so they are flat side up, and pipe buttercream all over the surface of each. Place a bare cookie on top of each, flat-side down, to sandwich together.

Store in an airtight container and eat within 3 days.

NOTES

To cook the kūmara, start with about 600g fresh kūmara (about 2 medium-sized) and cut into 4–5 pieces. Arrange on a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and roast at 180°C fan bake for 45–50 minutes, until soft. Peel off the skin and measure 250g flesh. Roughly mash and allow to cool before proceeding with the recipe.