Just Baking

Sugar and spice and everything nice . . . that’s exactly what you’ll find in these yummy Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Biscotti. With the homey flavor of gingerbread and the satisfying crunch of biscotti, these cookies deliver the best of both worlds. And, unlike many biscotti, these aren’t rock-hard, so if the idea of cookie crumbs in your espresso gives you the heebie-jeebies, these  are delicious eaten all on their own, no dipping necessary. On the other hand, if dunking is your cup of tea, by all means go ahead — they stand up perfectly well to dunking in coffee, tea, cocoa, or milk. Stored in an air-tight container, they’ll last for weeks with no freezing, so they’re perfect to have on hand for drop-in guests.

Biscotti are not difficult to make, but the process is a bit time-consuming. Feel free to bake the loaves in advance, wrap them in plastic wrap and then in foil, and freeze them. Whenever you want fresh biscotti, just thaw a loaf, slice, and proceed from there.

Sugar and Spice Gingerbread Biscotti

 

• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 3 eggs
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves, optional
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, optional
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375 °F.  Coat a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, white sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and molasses. In a medium mixing bowl, combine white flour, wheat flour, baking powder, spices, and orange zest. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. The dough will be very stiff.
3. Divide the dough in half and place the two halves of the dough on the baking sheet. Working with wet hands, flatten the dough and press it into two 1/2-thick loaves nearly the length of the cookie sheet. These have a tendency to spread, so keep the loves about 4 inches apart. Sprinkle both loaves liberally with cinnamon sugar and pat gently to press into dough.
4. Place cookie sheet into preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and let cool for a couple of minutes on baking sheet. Using two spatulas, remove each loaf from baking sheet and place on wire cooking rack. Let cool for about 30 minutes.
5. Place one cooled biscotti loaf on a cutting board. Using a long, serrated bread knife, cut it into diagonal slices, about 1/2 inch thick. Place biscotti slices cut-side down on the cookie sheet, sprinkle again with cinnamon sugar, and return to oven for 6 or 7 minutes. Remove from oven, turn over, sprinkle other side with cinnamon sugar and bake for an additional 5 minutes or so, till nicely toasted.
6. Cool completely on wire rack and store in an airtight container.

Yield: About 30 biscotti