Candied Ginger And Poppyseed Biscotti Food

LEMON GINGER POPPY SEED BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, honey and lemon zest until well combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Add ginger and vanilla extract and mix again. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• In another bowl, add flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt. Stir with a whisk to combine.
• Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix just until combined. Repeat with the other half of the flour mixture. (You may need to use a spatula to stir up and mix any dry batter from the bottom of the bowl.) Divide the batter into 2 equal size balls with your hands.
• Lightly flour your countertop. Form each ball of dough into a 12-inch log, then place lengthwise on the prepared cookie sheet, approximately 3 inches apart. Press down on the log slightly to flatten the top so it is about 3-inches wide.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until lightly golden on top and slightly firm to the touch. Remove cookie sheet from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Lower the oven temperate to 300 degrees F.
• Once cooled for 10 minutes, with a large spatula, carefully transfer the logs to a cookie sheet. Line your cookie sheet with a clean piece of parchment paper.
• Using a serrated knife, slice the logs into ½-inch slices. (You can cut the biscotti straight across the log for mini biscotti, or diagonally for longer biscotti.)
• Place each slice upright and slightly apart onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes until slightly dry. Move to a cooling rack to cool completely.
• Once cooled, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner's sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled biscotti. Allow the glaze to set up for about 15 minutes before serving or storing in an air tight container for up to 1 week.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER BISCOTTI WITH ALMONDS AND WHITE CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees.
• Grease and flour a large baking sheet.
• In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and vanilla and then slowly mix in the flour and other dry ingredients.
• With a spoon stir in the crystallized ginger, almonds and white chocolate chips until well combined.
• Divide dough in half and roll each portion into logs about 12 inches long.
• Place on prepared baking sheet and flatten each log slightly with your hand and then round off the edges a bit.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet.
• Carefully lift onto a cutting surface and slice with a serrated bread knife, using a gentle sawing motion, almost an inch thick.
• Transfer slices back onto the baking sheet, standing them up.
• Bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes to dry them out, not letting them get too brown.
• Cool completely on a wire rack and then store in an airtight container.

CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• Spray a cooling rack with nonstick spray and set it in a half sheet pan lined with parchment.
• Peel the ginger root and slice into 1/8-inch thick slices using a mandoline. Place into a 4-quart saucepan with the water and set over medium-high heat. Cover and cook for 35 minutes or until the ginger is tender.
• Transfer the ginger to a colander to drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Weigh the ginger and measure out an equal amount of sugar. Return the ginger and 1/4 cup water to the pan and add the sugar. Set over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar syrup looks dry, has almost evaporated and begins to recrystallize, approximately 20 minutes. Transfer the ginger immediately to the cooling rack and spread to separate the individual pieces. Once completely cool, store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Save the sugar that drops beneath the cooling rack and use to top ginger snaps, sprinkled over ice cream or to sweeten coffee.

CANDIED GINGER, LEMON AND POPPY SEED BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 Degrees F.
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set this aside.
• In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and the finely chopped crystallized ginger.
• In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and the salt.
• With a wooden spoon stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and divide into 2 equal portions.
• Dust your hands with flour and roll each half into a 12 inch log and transfer the logs onto the prepared baking sheet while spacing the logs 2 inches apart.
• Press down on the logs to flatten just a little bit.
• Place in the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until light golden brown and the tops are firm to the touch.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
• Transfer the logs to a cutting board.
• Using a well sharpened knife, slice the logs at a diagonal into about 1 inch slices.
• Return the sliced biscotti to the cookie sheet while placing them upright so they bake evenly on both sides.
• Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how dry you want them.
• Transfer the biscotti to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

CANDIED GINGER

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil over medium heat; continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, with a paring knife, slice ginger crosswire very thinly (about 1/8 inch thick). You should have about 1 cup.
• Add ginger slices to pan; simmer over medium-low heat until translucent and tender, 20 to 25 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer ginger to a wire rack set over a baking sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper; spread pieces so they are not touching. Let drain. Reserve ginger syrup (let cool; refrigerate in an airtight container up to 1 month).
• Pour 1/4 cup sugar into a small bowl; coat ginger slices, 1 or 2 at a time, in sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 1 month.

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.