This is my first time participating in The Leftovers Club , which is a great little group of food bloggers who bake a lot and often find themselves overrun with baked goods. Each month we get paired with another blogger and we each send the other baked delights; doesn’t get any better than that! I actually was just realizing the other day that it is very rare that someone gives me baked treats. It’s always me passing out and offloading all manner of cookies, cakes, pies and more on whoever will take them, because lord knows I would be a billion pounds if I ate them all myself. And me being such a ‘particular’ eater (i.e. vegan), I guess it makes sense but it sure is nice to be on the receiving end of vegan goodies! I need more vegans in my life for sure.

But also, I have this thing, and maybe I’m just odd, but after I’ve worked really hard on a recipe, made it a few times, tweaked it to perfection, the last thing in the world I want to do is eat it. That sounds bad, like what I make is so awful even I won’t eat it, but that’s not how it is. I taste everything, every step of the recipe, I’m testing and tasting and I think by the time I get to the final finished version, which may be my 3rd or 4th attempt, my taste buds are exhausted. Does anyone else experience this? So, because of this, I have about one serving of the dessert and then I gift it to whoever is willing, which thankfully for me I have lots of friends and family around so there is always someone happy to be on the receiving end.

I’ve been paired with Ginger, from Stark Raving Delicious , and I am wicked excited to receive the sweet package in the mail. I didn’t know her blog before, but now I am super happy I do because there are tons of great recipes there and lots of inspiration! I can’t wait to see what she is making.

This recipe for Lemon Ginger Almond Shortbread is very easy to make and perfect with a cup of tea in the afternoon. I was inspired to create this after going through my cabinets for inspiration and finding some candied ginger in there just begging to be used. I love candied ginger and if you do too, feel free to increase the amount in the recipe. I used 1/3 cup because that stuff is strong and I didn’t want to hurt anyone, but I am totally adding more next time I make it. I might even throw all caution to the wind and double it!

Lemon Ginger Almond Shortbread

1 1 /4 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegan butter and margarine

1/3 cup sugar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon water

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup diced candied ginger (or more!)

zest of one lemon

Instructions

Cream the vegan butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the lemon juice and mix until just combined. Add the flour, in three additions, beating well after each. Mix in the almonds, ginger and zest until well combined. Add a little bit of the water, as needed, so the dough comes together cohesively. Form the cookie dough into a log, wrap in parchment paper or plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of two hours. Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray lightly with oil. Using a sharp knife (I used a serrated knife as it cut through the almonds best without crumbling the dough) cut the log into 1/2″ rounds. Arrange on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes or until bottoms are very lightly browned. Move to a wire cooling rack and let cool completely. Can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.