Kiwi Ginger Crunch

While browsing through my usual blogs, I stumbled upon a recipe that had me hooked for 2 reasons: Ginger and New Zealand.  First of all, ginger will make me bounce off the walls and sing for joy.  Second, it is a Kiwi specialty and I've never gone through that culinary outback before.  The idea of making cookies has been lingering in my brain for some time, too and this is just so much quicker to make that I was motivated by a higher force to start baking right away.  Now I just can't stop eating them.  These naughty little cookies go great with coffee or tea, or licked off somebody's fingers while loudly expressing, "MmmMmmMmmmm!"
Makes about 20 1" x 3" bars.
Ingredients:
9 tbsp - 125 g room temperature butter
1/2 cup - 100g brown sugar
1 1/2 cup - 210g whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder (levure chimique)
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
Icing:
5 tbsp - 75g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup (I used honey)
90g powdered sugar
1 tbsp ground ginger
Directions:
1.  Cream the butter then add the brown sugar and beat until fluffy.
2.  In another mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and ginger together.  Add it little by little while mixing to the butter and sugar mixture.  It should end up like a dry dough.
3.  Oil your hands and knead the dough thoroughly until you get it into a ball.
4.  Butter a baking pan and press the dough into it.  Pack it tightly.  Bake at 375°F or 190°C for 20 minutes.
5.  While that is going on, make the icing by heating the butter and honey together in a small pan.  Add the sugar and ginger and smix until smooth.  Take off the hear.
6.  When the cookie is done, take it out of the oven and pour the warm icing over it.  Let cool 30-45 minutes, then slice while still warm.
At this point I let it cool in the fridge until the icing hardened so I could eat it without getting my hands too sticky.

This was a nice change from the usual sweets that go around here.  It has a slight kick of ginger that lingers around for a while.  Next time I might use crystalized ginger or raw ginger into the dough to give it a bit more kick, but this Kiwi style snack already has me hooked.  It is rather addicting and leaves a nice feeling in your mouth...and that's always pleasant.