Scottish Grasmere Shortbread - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Ingredients for the shortbread
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
Ingredients for the ginger filling
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon milk
2 tablespoons grated crystallized ginger

Preparation

Sift flour, sugar, cornstarch, and ground ginger into a bowl.
Cut in butter until mixture becomes a soft dough (requires working beyond the stage when particles are the size of rice kernals).
Mix in crystallized ginger. Shape dough into a ball. Knead lightly with fingertips until mixture holds together. Roll into tubular shape and place in cookie press or just slice into 1/8 inch slices. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minures. Cool. Spread ginger filling over the bottom of half the cookies. Cover with remaining cookies.
Ginger Filling; Cream 1/4 C butter and 1 t vanilla extract. Add 2 C confectioner's sugar gradually, beating until fluffy. Stir in 2 T grated crystallized ginger.