Makes 18-20 servings
The holidays mean company will be coming and I like having something healthy and homemade on hand to serve with coffee or hot chocolate. These delicious Italian cookies fit the bill. Don’t let the double baking process intimidate you! It really doesn’t take that long and it’s definitely not difficult. In addition to keeping these biscotti around the house, they make an amazing hostess gift. Just put them in a cellophane bag and tie them up with a pretty bow. And don’t forget to sit and savor one yourself–the holidays can get so hectic that we forget to take time to slow down and just enjoy ?
White Chocolate-Dipped Ginger-Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon orange zest
3/4 cup pistachios, roughly chopped
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup crystallized ginger, chopped
11/2 cups white chocolate chips
2 teaspoons coconut oil
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place a Silpat mat or piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, oil, orange zest, pistachios, cherries and ginger. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and combine thoroughly.
4. Separate the dough into two halves and with clean hands, form each dough half into an 8-inch long loaf and place on the prepared baking sheet. (Note: If the dough is really sticky, place it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before handling.) Bake for 25 minutes, or until lightly golden.
5. Remove biscotti from oven, let cool for 20 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/2-inch wide cookies (9 or 10 per loaf). using a spatula, carefully transfer the biscotti back onto the baking sheet (cut side down) and bake again for 14 minutes, until the tops are dry to the touch and the biscotti are hard nearly all the way through. Remove from the oven and let cool.
6. In the meantime, place water in the bottom of a double boiler and bring to a boil. (If you don’t have a double boiler, place a heat-proof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl isn’t touching the water.)
7. Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to the top of the double boiler or bowl, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and transfer melted chocolate to a small bowl. Working quickly, dip the biscotti into the bowl of chocolate at an angle, then transfer back to the baking sheet. Continue until all of the biscotti have been dipped. (You will likely have some chocolate left over, which you could use to drizzle over a different type of cookie–yum!) Let biscotti dry for 20-30 minutes, then enjoy or transfer to an airtight container. Biscotti will keep for 5 days at room temperature or longer if kept in the fridge.