From an old friend (Maida) to my 600 + new ones (thank you, food blogging community) – one terrific holiday cookie.

Gingerful Biscotti

From Maida Heatter’s Brand New Book of Great Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 ounces (1 loosely packed cup) crystallized ginger, sliced into pieces about the size of small peas (scissors work best)
• 7 ounces (1 1/4 cups) blanched (skinned) or unblanched whole almonds
• 3 cups sifted unbleached flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 teaspoon very finely ground white pepper (Susan’s note: or sub 1/2 tsp very finely ground black pepper)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup mild honey

Instructions

• Toast the almonds in a shallow pan in a 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes, until lightly colored, stirring once during toasting. Set aside to cool.
• Into a large bowl strain or sift together – just to mix – the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pepper, ground ginger, cinnamon, mustard, cloves and sugar. Stir in the crystalized ginger, then the nuts.
• In a small bowl beat the eggs and honey to mix, and then add to the dry ingredients. Stir until the dry ingredients are completely moistened.
• Place two 18-20″ lengths of plastic wrap on a work surface. You will form two strips of the dough, one on each piece of plastic wrap. Spoon half of the dough by heaping tablespoonfuls in the middle – down the length – of each piece of plastic wrap, to form strips about 13 inches long. Flatten the tops slightly by dipping a large spoon into water and pressing down on the dough with the wet spoon. Rewet the spoon often.
• Lift the two long sides of one piece of plastic wrap, bring the sides together on top of the dough, and with your hands press on the plastic wrap to smooth the dough and shape it into an even strip about 13-14″ long, 2 1/2 – 3 1/2″ wide and about 3/4″ thick (no thicker). Shape both strips and place them on a cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for at least an hour or until firm enough to unwrap (or as much longer as you wish).
• To bake, adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat oven to 300 degrees. Line two large cookie sheets with parchment paper. To transfer the strips of dough to the sheets, open the two long sides of plastic wrap on top of one strip of dough and turn the dough upside down on the lined cookie sheet, placing it diagonally on the sheet. Slowly peel off the plastic wrap. Repeat with the second strip of dough and the second cookie sheet.
• Bake for 50 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to ensure even baking. These will turn quite dark during baking.
• Then reduce the temperature to 275 degrees and remove the sheets from the oven. Immediately – carefully and gently – peel the parchment away from the backs of the strips and place them on a large cutting board. Slice the strips while they are still very hot. Use a pot holder or folded towel to hold a strip in place. Use a serrated French bread knife. Slice on an angle; the sharper the angle, the longer the cookies, and the more difficult it will be to slice them very thin. Cut them about 1/4 – 1/2″ wide.
• Place the slices on the cut side, touching each other, on the cookie sheets. Bake at 275 degrees for about 25 minutes. (If you bake one sheet alone they will bake in a bit less time.)
• Because these are so thin it is not necessary to turn them upside down during this second baking; they will bake evenly without it.
• Reverse the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking. Bake until just dry. (You will have to cool one to know if it is crisp.) Do not overbake.
• When done, cool on the sheets and then store in an airtight container.
• Makes 60 – 70 biscotti (30 – 40 if sliced thicker)