Crystallized Ginger Biscotti Food

CHEF JOHN'S GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cayenne together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
• Combine butter, brown sugar, and molasses in a bowl; mix with a spatula until creamy. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, until smooth. Add vanilla and chopped ginger. Mix and mash with the whisk until ginger is evenly distributed and coated with the butter-sugar mixture, about 1 minute.
• Mix in 1/2 of the dry ingredients with a spatula until incorporated. Mix in remaining dry ingredients until dough is very wet and sticky.
• Transfer dough to a long piece of plastic wrap, using a buttered knife to help if necessary. Wrap plastic around the dough and shape with your hands into a uniform log, about 12 to 14 inches long by 2 1/2 inches wide. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.
• Remove dough from the refrigerator, unwrap, and place on the prepared baking sheet. Wet your fingers and smooth out any edges.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
• Remove loaf from the oven, cover with a clean towel, and let sit for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Uncover the loaf and brush a little water around the bottom edge to soften. Transfer to a cutting board.
• Use a serrated knife to cut the loaf into 1/2-inch slices. Cut at an angle for longer biscotti, or straight across for shorter ones. Transfer slices back to the baking sheet.
• Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Flip biscotti and cook until they are dry and crispy all the way through, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool to room temperature.
• Place melted white chocolate into a plastic bag. Snip off a corner and pipe over biscotti. Let sit until chocolate has cooled and hardened, about 30 minutes.

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.

DOUBLE DARK-CHOCOLATE AND GINGER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until well combined; set aside. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg, egg yolk, and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in the vanilla and oil until well combined.
• With the mixer on low, beat in dry ingredients until combined. Fold in walnuts, chocolate, and ginger with a rubber spatula (dough will be stiff).
• With moistened hands shape the dough into 2 logs, each about 9 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Bake until set on top, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Transfer logs to a cutting board and, with a serrated knife, cut each log on the diagonal into 16 slices, each 1/2-inch thick. Bake until crisp, about 20 minutes, turning the biscotti over midway through. Cool 5 minutes on a baking sheet, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

ORANGE - GINGER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease large baking sheet. (I lightly dust with cornmeal to avoid sticking).
• Stir together flour, baking powder and salt on sheet of waxed paper.
• Beat butter and sugar in bowl until creamy. Beat in egg, yolk and vanilla.
• Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture until smooth. Stir in almonds, ginger and orange rind.
• On floured board or cloth, with floured hands, roll dough into cylinder about
• 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Transfer to large baking sheet.
• Bake in 350 degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes our clean. Remove to wire rack; cool 20 minutes.
• Using thin serrated knife, cut roll diagonally into 1/2 inch wide pieces, about 3 to 4 inches long. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and place pieces onto prepared sheet.
• Bake in 350 degree oven for 10 to 15 minute, until golden brown. Cool on rack.
• Melt chocolate in top of double boiler over hot water. Dip biscotti ends in chocolate; shake off excess. Place biscotti on waxed paper until firm.

DARK CHOCOLATE GINGER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat the egg, egg yolk, and sugar until light and fluffy with an electric mixer. Beat in vanilla and oil until well combined.
• With the mixer on low, beat in dry ingredients until well combined. Fold in walnuts, chocolate and ginger by hand with a rubber spatula.
• With moistened hands, shape the dough into 2 logs, each about 9 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Bake until set on top, about 20 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Transfer logs to a cutting board and with a serrated knife, cut each log on the diagonal into 16 slices, each 1/2-inch thick. Return slices to the baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes, turning the biscotti over halfway through. Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

GINGER ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter loaf pan and line bottom with wax paper.
• In a shallow baking pan toast almonds in middle of oven until a shade darker, about 10 minutes. Cool nuts and very coarsely chop. Finely chop crystallized ginger. Into a bowl sift together flour, sugar, ground ginger, salt, and baking soda. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together whole egg, egg white, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and beat until combined well. Stir in almonds and crystallized ginger.
• Press dough into loaf pan and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about 45 minutes. Turn loaf out onto a rack and cool 10 minutes. On a cutting board with a serrated knife cut loaf crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange biscotti on a baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until crisp, about 15 minutes. Cool biscotti on rack. Biscotti keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks.

CRYSTALLIZED GINGER

Steps:

• Peel the ginger and slice it into rounds 1/8 inch thick.
• For every cup of prepared ginger you will need 3 cups of water and 3 cups of sugar.
• In a large to huge pot bring the water/sugar to a boil and stir to dissolve the sugar.
• When dissolved add the ginger and boil for 45 minutes stirring almost constantly.
• You want the ginger tender and getting that translucent look about it.
• You also don't want it at a full rolling boil-just a little less.
• Drain the ginger reserving the liquid.
• Separate and place on a rack to dry for around 30 minutes-it's gonna be a bit sticky-and then coat with sugar-I would whirl it a bit in a spice grinder to get it half powder, half granulated.
• Set it out on wax paper to dry-this took a few hours with a lot of hand slapping.
• Store in an air tight container.
• As for the remaining syrup you can boil and reduce to a syrup-something between maple syrup and honey and use on pancakes, waffles or ice cream.

GINGER-PECAN BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Remove 1 1/2 tablespoons of the egg to a small dish and reserve. Add vanilla to the rest. Make a well in center of dry ingredients, add egg-vanilla mixture and, using your hands or a large rubber spatula, work flour into eggs. It will be crumbly at first but will soon form into a soft dough. Allow to rest 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough into an 8-inch square. Spread ginger and pecans on it, lightly pressing them in. Tightly roll up dough and cut it in two. Press and roll each piece into a log about 9 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, brush with reserved egg and bake about 20 minutes, until firm to the touch and lightly browned.
• Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes. Use a sharp, thin knife to cut logs at an angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Stand slices an inch apart on baking sheet and return to oven 15 to 20 minutes, until crisp. Cool completely before serving.

DRIZZLED GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Beat in eggs, molasses and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk flours, spices, baking powder and salt; gradually beat into creamed mixture. Stir in crystallized ginger., Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each half into a 14x2-in. rectangle. Bake 20-25 minutes or until firm to the touch., Cool on pans on wire racks until cool enough to handle. Transfer baked rectangles to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2-in. slices. Place upright 1-in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt baking chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over biscotti. Decorate with Red Hots.

LEMON GINGER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• preheat oven to 350 combine flour, sugar, baking soda, ginger and salt in a large bowl.
• stir in crystallized ginger.
• mix lemon rind, lemon juice and eggs together and stir into flour mixture.
• the dough will be crumbly.
• turn dough out to a lightly floured surface, knead 7-8 times.
• divide dough in half.
• shape each half into a log.
• spray a cookie sheet with non stick spray, place logs 6" apart.
• combine water and eggwhite and brush over tops.
• sprinkle with sugar.
• bake for 20 minutes.
• remove to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
• slice each log diagonally into 3/4" slices.
• place back on baking sheet, upright.
• lower oven to 325.
• bake 20 minutes, remove to a wire rack, cool.

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.