Best Chef Johns Gingerbread Biscotti Recipes

GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet.
• In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. In another bowl, combine flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; mix into egg mixture to form a stiff dough.
• Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie. Place rolls on cookie sheet, and pat down to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness.
• Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
• When cool enough to touch, cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet, and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy.

GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• Pulse the flour, granulated sugar, gingerbread spice, baking powder and salt in a food processor until combined. Add the butter and pulse until the butter is thoroughly combined with the dry ingredients and the mixture looks sandy. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Whisk together the molasses, vanilla, eggs and 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl; stir into the flour mixture until a crumbly dough forms. Press together and knead into a moist, uniform dough.
• Divide the dough in half and place on the prepared baking sheet. Shape the dough into two 10-by-2-inch logs, keeping 3 inches between the logs. If the dough is sticky, splash a couple drops of water on your hands and continue shaping. Bake until the outside is set but the inside is still slightly soft, about 30 minutes.
• Let cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Transfer the logs to a cutting board and slice 1/2 inch thick on the bias with a serrated knife. Return the slices to the baking sheet, slat-side down, and bake, flipping the slices halfway through, until crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool.
• Once the biscotti are cool, combine the white chocolate and oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth, about 1 1/2 minutes total. Dip half of each biscotti at an angle in the white chocolate, letting the excess drip off. Return to the wire rack, then refrigerate until just set, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the remaining white chocolate mixture into a small piping bag or resealable bag, then snip the tip or corner with kitchen shears to create a small hole. Drizzle the white chocolate at an angle across the dipped end of each biscotti, drizzling in the opposite direction to create a crisscross pattern. Return to the wire rack, then sprinkle with sanding sugar. Refrigerate until all the chocolate is completely set, about 10 minutes. The biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

CHEF JOHN'S ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
• Place butter, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, olive oil in a separate mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly until mixture has a creamy texture. Add 1 egg; mix into butter/sugar mixture. Whisk in 2nd egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Add whole almonds and chopped almonds; mix in evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Divide dough in half. Place each half on a length of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Wrap with the plastic wrap and press into a shape about 3 or 4 inches wide and about 1/2 inch high. Transfer both pieces to prepared baking sheet leaving about 3 or 4 inches of space between them to allow for spreading.
• Bake in center of preheated oven until turning golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut each piece at a slight angle into 1/2- to 1 -inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Transfer pieces back to baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 12 minutes; remove from oven and flip pieces over. Return pan to oven and bake until biscotti are golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack; let cool to room temperature.

GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the egg, egg white, both sugars, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, star anise, espresso powder, salt, baking soda, almond extract and lemon extract. Beat on medium speed just to combine, scrape down the bowl and beater, then increase the speed to high and beat for a full 90 seconds or until the mixture is slightly paler, thick and ribbony.
• Add the flour and the candied ginger. Beat on low speed until mostly combined, stopping the beater just before all the flour is incorporated so you don't overmix. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to incorporate any remaining dry bits into the dough.
• Gather the dough with your hands, kneading lightly in the bowl just to bring everything together into a cohesive mass. Place the dough on the center of the prepared sheet, then dampen your hands with water and mold the dough into a 9-by-4-inch log about 1 inch tall. Bake until the log puffs and spreads a little, turns golden brown at the edges and is firm to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove the loaf from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut at a diagonal into 12 (¾-inch-wide) slices. Turn the slices on their sides and return to the oven.
• Bake, flipping the slices halfway through, until slightly browned and dry in the centers, 10 to 15 minutes. Bake longer for drier, crunchier biscotti. Remove from the oven and cool the biscotti on the sheet. Turn the slices top sides up.
• In a double-boiler or a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring until completely smooth. (See Tip.) Remove the bowl from the heat, and using a small spoon, drape the melted chocolate over the tops of the biscotti, nudging some to drip over the edges. Allow the chocolate to sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator to fully set. The biscotti will last for a couple of weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.