When it comes to the holidays there is nothing more quintessentially cozy and homey than the scent of freshly baked gingerbread! Mingling cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cardamom (scratch the cloves) spices wafting from the oven, are always delightful and delicious! I always like to play with classics though, introduce a classic element to an unlikely sweet, turning an ordinary scone into cinnamon bun heaven, or - in this case - turning traditional gingerbread into the perfect coffee accompaniment: white chocolate dipped pecan gingerbread biscotti! Play with your taste buds a bit, mess with your senses - go on I dare you, it is delicious!
I’m not to sure why biscotti always winds up on my christmas cookie platter, was never really a holiday staple around our house - but over the years with has become one of my go-to cookie recipes, holiday season or not. Maybe it’s the coffee influence (I’m becoming quite the addict... in fact I could go for an espresso right about now!), because really every coffee should have a cookie, and biscotti just seems to me to be the ultimate coffee cookie! Not to mention all the possible flavour variations! Almond-Pecan-Coconut, sour cherry and dark chocolate, cocoa pistachio, lemon cornmeal, mocha, cranberry orange, white chocolate and peppermint... Biscotti can stand-up to any crazy combination and chances are it will be fabulous no matter what you throw it’s way!
So here is a little heads-up for this recipe:
-first of all the dough may seem a touch sticky and you will be inclined to add masses of flour while you knead it and shape it into a log - DON’T! It’s the molasses and adding too too much flour will only give you a cement-like rock biscotti - some serious coffee soaking will be needed for any possible munching!
-second, the original recipe doesn’t mention forming two logs, nor does it mention the fact that this baby spreads!! I mean, this was the BIGGEST biscotti I have ever made - I’m talking on the scale of Stay Puft biscotti! So, my recommendation - make two logs and S.P.A.C.E. them out!
-third, around the second baking the cookies will get soft looking - not what you would normally expect from twice baked biscotti. Don’t get fooled into thinking loads of extra baking time is needed to get the cookies looking right and crispy. The molasses is just playing with your mind!
Enjoy and play around with flavours! Throw in some candied ginger if that is your thing, or maybe dried cranberries, or orange zest - or candied peel. Suit yourself, biscotti is a blank canvas - all it requires is a god strong dark roast to finish it off!
Gingerbread Biscotti
adapted from The Go-Lightly Gourmet
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
2 eggs
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses
2 Tbsp milk (** depending dough and humidity)
white chocolate, melted - enough to dip biscotti
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, including pecans or walnuts. In another, smaller bowl whisk together the molasses and eggs. Slowly incorporate egg-molasses mixture into the dry ingredients, until well blended. You may need to add one or two Tbls of milk to the dough, just to get it to the proper sticky-ish consistency.
Turn dough out onto a minimally floured surface, knead lightly and form into two logs (unless you want to experience Stay Puft biscotti!). Place logs on a cookie sheet - quite spaced apart. Bake for 30-35 minutes, top should been cracked but not dry, slightly springy is the sign of a healthy biscotti loaf. Let cool for 20 minutes or so. Carefully cut 3/4” slices - either diagonally or straight across. Place sliced cookies back onto a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes - flipping cookies over half way through.
Melt enough white chocolate to dip the bottoms of the biscotti, a double-boiler or microwave will both do the trick admirably (just don’t cook it too long - microwaves have a sneaky habit of ruining chocolate in the blink of an eye! Use small increments of time, stirring frequently). I found a palette knife to be really handy, you can dip and spread of spread the whole way along. Once dipped place the biscotti chocolate base side down on a sheet of parchment. Let cool completely. If the chocolate doesn’t set up according to your time frame - or if you have troubles removing the biscotti, flash freeze the little suckers in the deep-freeze for 5 - 10 minutes and all your troubles will be resolved!
Next time I might dip them in white chocolate and then follow with a sprinkling of crushed candy-canes! Mmm... the possibilities!
Ok ok, I know I have been pushing the coffee dunking - but a steaming mug of hot chocolate will make these little guys sing as well!
Again, brilliant gift giving cookies! Cellophane ‘em and wrap ‘em with a bow! And maybe tagged with one of these sweet things!
