Gingerbread Biscotti

I'm not a natural cook who can just whip up marvelous creations, no recipe needed. For me, it's all about finding a dish that looks good, executing the steps given to bring it about, and then seeing if I like what comes out. Someone else has figured out the "magic" of how to go from a random series of ingredients to the creation of something people will actually want to eat.

Sometimes, however, cooking can still feel a little like magic, even when I'm only following what someone else figured out. This biscotti recipe comes under that heading of "whoa! did I just make something that came out looking and tasting like that??" I think I secretly harbored doubts that such an ordinary list of cooking components could actually wind up as biscotti just like what you'd buy in a bakery. Except better, of course, because it came right from your own kitchen!

I loved this recipe so much that I ended up making two batches. One for me and one to give out in gift bags. My sweet and sassy neighbor is battling cancer, with chemo treatments that leave her nauseous and zapped. Who better to receive a baggie full of biscotti and tea bags? And the gal who has been so helpful since we moved in, making sure I was OK on a daily basis during the weeks while Martin was gone - shouldn't she also get a bag?

The ginger taste is subtle, yet definite, if you can understand that seeming paradox. Mornings are made better with a few of these biscotti to dip into your choice of tea or coffee. Deb, from the Smitten Kitchen site, also says they taste fabulous with hot chocolate but that's something I've yet to try. Maybe today....right now.


Gingerbread Biscotti
from Smitten Ktichen

Yield: 30 to 34
Time: About 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring hands
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
A few grinds of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups toasted, chopped nuts or white or dark chocolate chunks (optional, I kept mine plain)
1 large egg white

Cinnamon-sugar (optional)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line one large or two small baking sheets (if yours are small you’ll probably prefer using two, as the logs will spread a lot) with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients — 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, spices, pepper and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, butter, 2 large eggs and vanilla. Add wet ingredients along with any optional additions (nuts or chocolate) to dry mixture and stir to combine. It’s going to seem a bit soft and sticky; it’s a-okay.

Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, transfer first half to the prepared baking sheet(s) and form it into a slightly flatted log about 11 inches (28 cm) by 2 1/2 (6 1/2 cm) inches, going down one side of a baking sheet intended for two logs, or the center of a baking sheet intended for one log. Repeat with second half of dough. Whisk egg white in a small bowl until a little foamy and loose. Brush over top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown all over, about 25 minutes. Transfer tray to cooling rack; let cool about 25 minutes, until lukewarm. Gently transfer each log to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife and gently sawing motion, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch wide slices. If using cinnamon-sugar, stir the two together and dip both cut sides in the mixture.
Arrange slices, a cut side down, on baking sheet(s). Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until golden underneath. Turn each biscotti over and bake for a final 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly bronzed all over. Let cool on rack.

Do ahead: Baked biscotti should keep in airtight containers at room temperature for weeks.