My Favorite Biscotti
Happy New Year! I like new beginnings. I spent my New Year’s abroad, traveling with my kids in England, France, and Switzerland. To say that it was refreshing or re-invigorating would be to put it mildly (more on that to follow in a forthcoming Trippy post). I know you’ve made all kinds of refreshes or resolutions yourself. And if that means you’ve sworn off all sweets, I’m giving you this recipe in hopes that you’ll reconsider. Surely, surely you’re still drinking tea or coffee and said tea or coffee could really use a subtly sweet pastry for dunking. Biscotti is a perfect low-key treat (travels well, keeps well, tastes swell), and is really fun to bake. For this post, I’ve highlighted two of my favorite flavor combos - lemon + crystallized ginger and white chocolate + cranberry.
Biscotti, which is the plural form of biscotto, is an Italian cookie traditionally made with almonds that means “twice-baked.” Chances are, you might have thought biscotti was just super dry because it’s been sitting in the same jar at your local coffee shop since it first opened. Not so, and it doesn’t need to be made with almonds (nut-free friends rejoice!). Biscotti is twice-baked so that it can be enjoyed for longer than most other baked goods, so take your time enjoying it. It will be ready and waiting to perfect your next hot beverage.
Just because the holiday season is over does not mean you should hang up your apron. Let the joy of making biscotti coax you back into the kitchen. The wonderful smells that will soon be flooding your kitchen are reason enough. We all need a little sweetness in our lives and in our cookie jars. Thank you for always being the sweetness in my life. I couldn’t do any of this without you!
Be Sweet &
Stop in soon.
Geri
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My Favorite Biscotti
Ingredients
2 C. Cherbourg flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 C. salted butter, at room temperature
3/4 C. sugar
2 tsp. grated lemon zest
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 C. chopped crystallized ginger OR 2/3 C. dried cranberries and 12. oz. white chocolate chips (divided)
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together Cherbourg flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside. Cream butter, sugar, and lemon zest. Add eggs, one at a time. Add the flour mixture and mix until just blended. Add crystallized ginger OR dried cranberries and half of white chocolate chips.
Form the dough into a 12-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
Place the cooled log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 3/4-inch thick slices. Arrange the biscotti on the baking sheet. Bake them again for 15 minutes, until they are golden brown. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely.
If making cranberry/white chocolate biscotti: melt remaining white chocolate chips in a double boiler. Dip the bottom of the biscotti in the white chocolate and let chocolate cool and set. Alternately, you can drizzle the white chocolate on the biscotti with a whisk.
