Chef John’s Gingerbread Biscotti

Description

When you don’t have time to make a gingerbread house, try these delicious gingerbread biscotti. You’ll love the sweet and spicy flavor of crystallized ginger and the crispy, crunchy signature biscotti texture. Whether eaten on their own or dunked into a cup of steaming hot coffee (an exceptional pairing!), these make a great holiday gift.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 teaspoons ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 pinch cayenne pepper
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅔ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon molasses
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 3 (1 ounce) squares white chocolate, melted

Instructions

  1. Whisk flour
  2. baking powder
  3. salt
  4. ground ginger
  5. cinnamon
  6. nutmeg
  7. and cayenne together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
  8. Combine butter
  9. brown sugar
  10. and molasses in a bowl; mix with a spatula until creamy. Whisk in eggs
  11. one at a time
  12. until smooth. Add vanilla and chopped ginger. Mix and mash with the whisk until ginger is evenly distributed and coated with the butter-sugar mixture
  13. about 1 minute.
  14. Mix in 1/2 of the dry ingredients with a spatula until incorporated. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until dough is very wet and sticky.
  15. Transfer dough to a long piece of plastic wrap
  16. using a buttered knife to help if necessary. Wrap plastic around the dough and shape with your hands into a uniform log
  17. about 12 to 14 inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
  18. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
  19. Remove dough from the refrigerator
  20. unwrap
  21. and place on the prepared baking sheet. Wet your fingers and smooth out any edges.
  22. Bake in the center of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
  23. about 30 minutes.
  24. Remove loaf from the oven
  25. cover with a clean towel
  26. and let sit for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
  27. Uncover the loaf and brush a little water around the bottom edge to soften. Transfer to a cutting board.
  28. Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf into 1/2-inch slices. Cut at an angle for longer biscotti
  29. or straight across for shorter ones. Transfer slices back to the baking sheet.
  30. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip biscotti and cook until they are dry and crispy all the way through
  31. 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.
  32. Place melted white chocolate into a plastic bag. Snip off a corner and pipe over biscotti. Let sit until chocolate has cooled and hardened
  33. about 30 minutes.

Prep Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 1 hr

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins

Servings: 18

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