Cranberry Ginger White Chocolate Biscotti

Biscotti were originally a purely pragmatic baked good. Dry and hard, with little or no added fat, they lasted indefinitely – fueling soldiers and travelers on long journeys as the Roman empire extended its reach.

The dry biscuits remained more or less unchanged until the Renaissance, when (the story goes) a daring Tuscan baker experimented with ingredients and served his innovation with sweet wine for dipping. Centuries later, each Italian province has its own distinct regional variation of biscotti, or – as they are known in Italy – ‘cantucci’, and the cookies are popular around the world.

Biscotti are no longer particularly frugal or healthy, but being so adaptable they lend themselves to what seems infinite interpretations. Where I live, cranberries are a part of the landscape, and they look and taste wonderful in these Cranberry Ginger White Chocolate Biscotti.

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Cranberry Ginger & White Chocolate Biscotti

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

1 hr 10 mins

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

The combination of cranberries, candied ginger and white chocolate with a hint of orange zest makes this a wonderful cookie for Christmas or any time of year.

Category: Cookies

Servings: 24 biscotti

Author: Ketchup With That

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup / 125 ml butter, softened
• 1 cup / 250 ml sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml vanilla
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml orange zest
• 2-1/2 cups / 625 ml all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons / 10 ml baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon / 2.5 ml salt
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml finely chopped candied ginger
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml chopped cranberries
• 1/2 cup / 125 ml chopped white chocolate
• 1 egg white whisked with 1 teaspoon / 5 ml water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F / 163 degrees C.

2. In medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add one teaspoon of the orange zest and mix in thoroughly.

4. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla.

5. In separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl.

6. In small bowl, mix candied ginger, cranberries, white chocolate and remaining teaspoon of orange zest. 

7. Add flour and ginger mixture to butter mixture and stir until combined.

8. Divide dough into two pieces. On lightly floured surface, shape each piece into a 12-inch / 30 cm long log.

9. Place logs on parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving enough room between them to allow for spreading during baking. Brush logs with egg white and place in oven.

10. Bake until lightly browned and they feel firm to the touch, around 30 to 35 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, and place pan on cooling rack. Let logs cool on pan for 10 minutes.
12. Reduce oven heat to 300 degree F / 149 degrees C.
13. Move logs to cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut each log on a diagonal into slices 1/2 inch / 1.25 cm thick.
14. Put slices cut side up on parchment lined cookie sheet. (You may need to use two cookie sheets.)
15. Bake cookies at 300 degrees F / 149 degrees C for 30 to 35 minutes, depending on how hard you like them. The cookies should feel quite dry.
16. Cool cookies completely on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.