It’s scientific fact that the most decadent hot chocolate needs the perfect dunking cookie. Last week, the hunt for this led me to assault family and friends with bold, high-stakes queries such as “would you rather dunk graham cracker flavored, snickerdoodle or gingerbread biscotti in your hot chocolate?” Don’t let it ever be said that the Smitten Kitchen shies away from the hard questions! Gingerbread was the clear winner, and while I aim to please, I couldn’t quite shake the feeling that a little snickerdoodle-style roll in cinnamon-sugar is never unwelcome in winter, and so it was.
This is gentle gingerbread; it’s not going to muddle your steamy cup of dark chocolate cocoa with molasses and cloves, but instead gently suggests a little winter spice. It’s as much a cookie as it is the ideal golden and crisp packet of December warmth, essential on 26 degree days like today (too soon, New York, too soon!) even if you, perhaps, after reading one too many articles about how Norwegian and Danish children go outside all winter, regardless of how cold it is, didn’t conclude that this meant that you and your small child should arrive at the schoolyard 30 minutes before the school bell to get your fix of “fresh air” and “nature exploration” and have still, 3-plus hours later, not warmed up.
This cookie, dunked in a cup of hot chocolate with a thin layer of melted mini-marshmallows on top, is also doing its best to console me for the fact that but 24 hours ago, I was neck-deep in the Atlantic Ocean, because, you see, it was just too hot to be on the sand. My husband turned 40 over the summer, and I decided that instead of buying him a thing I wanted to provide an experience and, for Alex, there are few things that make him happier than spending the day on a hot beach, alternating between napping and reading a book. I also wanted to surprise him, because presents that come when you least expect them are way more fun than those at predictable intervals. And so Friday morning, he found this card at the breakfast table. And our Saturday and Sunday looked something like this. And, lo, it was a great weekend.
Thus, I hardly expect you to feel bad for us, shivering in that cab line last night at JFK because we’d decided to pack “lighter” by omitting winter coats, hats and common sense. We don’t need any violins. But discovering what was left of last week’s decadent hot chocolate mix and these biscotti on the counter this morning were exactly what a cold Monday morning needs, and then, once you’ve finished the first batch, you can make a few more as gifts for some very lucky people.
On Pinterest: Want a little visual guide to all 70 cookies in the Smitten Kitchen archives? How about some homemade food gifts? It’s beginning to look a lot like December over there, come see!
Signed Smitten Kitchen Cookbooks: Have you ever wanted to buy someone a Smitten Kitchen Cookbook but you wanted it to say something really specific, like Merry Christmas! or Congratulations on your engagement! (Now bake me some cookies.) or No matter what anyone else tells you, you’re my favorite reader. No seriously. It’s you. all of which have happened last year because you guys really are that funny and awesome. Well, you can! I work with McNally-Jackson, an independent bookstore in Soho to sign books; I sign them, they mail them out. This year, we have a hard deadline for Christmas shipping (i.e. you’d pay standard and not rushed shipping and the book will reach you by Christmas) of Monday, December 15th. [Order Custom Inscribed Smitten Kitchen Cookbooks from McNally Jackson]
One year ago: Eggnog Florentines
Two years ago: Cashew Butter Balls
Three years ago: Caesar Salad Deviled Eggs
Four years ago: Garlic Butter Roasted Mushrooms
Five years ago: Coffee Toffee and Vanilla Roasted Pears
Six years ago: Brown Butter Brown Sugar Shorties, Spelt Everything Crackers, Feta Salsa and Carrot Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Seven years ago: Latkes and Pear Crisps with Vanilla Brown Butter
Eight years ago: Zucchini Ham and Ricotta Fritters, German Pancakes/Dutch Babies, Winter Panzanella, Homemade Orchiette with Tomatoes and Arugula,
And for the other side of the world:
Six Months Ago: Pasta and Fried Zucchini Salad
1.5 Years Ago: Rhubarb Cream Cheese Hand Pies
2.5 Years Ago: Broccoli Parmesan Fritters
3.5 Years Ago: Roasted Peppers with Capers and Mozzarella
Gingerbread Biscotti
Yield: 30 to 34
Time: About 1 1/2 hours
Cookie
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (265 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring hands
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons (4 grams) ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
A few grinds of black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 cup (95 grams) dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
7 tablespoons (100 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups toasted, chopped nuts or white or dark chocolate chunks (optional, I kept mine plain)
1 large egg white
Cinnamon-sugar (optional)
1/3 cup (65 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (6 grams) ground cinnamon
Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line one large or two small baking sheets (if yours are small you’ll probably prefer using two, as the logs will spread a lot) with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients — 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking powder, spices, pepper and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together sugars, butter, 2 large eggs and vanilla. Add wet ingredients along with any optional additions (nuts or chocolate) to dry mixture and stir to combine. It’s going to seem a bit soft and sticky; it’s a-okay.
Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, transfer first half to the prepared baking sheet(s) and form it into a slightly flatted log about 11 inches (28 cm) by 2 1/2 (6 1/2 cm) inches, going down one side of a baking sheet intended for two logs, or the center of a baking sheet intended for one log. Repeat with second half of dough. Whisk egg white in a small bowl until a little foamy and loose. Brush over top and sides of each log.
Bake logs until golden brown all over, about 25 minutes. Transfer tray to cooling rack; let cool about 25 minutes, until lukewarm. Gently transfer each log to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife and gently sawing motion, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch wide slices. If using cinnamon-sugar, stir the two together and dip both cut sides in the mixture.
Arrange slices, a cut side down, on baking sheet(s). Bake for another 10 to 12 minutes, until golden underneath. Turn each biscotti over and bake for a final 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly bronzed all over. Let cool on rack.
Do ahead: Baked biscotti should keep in airtight containers at room temperature for weeks.
I completely agree. Same goes for a cappuccino… nothing like a biscotti to dunk in there. I am still dreaming about that hot chocolate.
And seeing that gingerbread anything is my favorite, I’m certain I’d love these cookies.
I love these! I spent this weekend testing out gingerbread recipes, and the one I accidentally arrived at tastes exactly like the Russian ‘pryaniki’ I used to eat as a child – firm on the outside, and chewy on the inside. They made perfect dunking cookies – much like these biscotti! Thanks for taking the time to think of our needs for the perfect dunking cookie alongside the perfect hot chocolate ;)
Two of my favorite things combined into one! Hope you enjoyed your vacation :)
I haven’t made the hot chocolate yet, but I think these will be lovely with my new found tea addiction.
Love that ginger instead of cinnamon. Will be trying these out as Christmas gifts this year and may experiment with some added chopped stem ginger (the kind in syrup).
It’s hard to think gingerbread minus molasses for me. Is it the dark brown sugar that makes it still gingerbready? I do a gingersnap that calls for 1 teaspoon each cinnamon, ground ginger and clove, and I’m always happy with the warmth of the spices in that one. I am really partial to that cookie, although any baking recipe that I don’t have to have room temperature butter for or drag out the mixer is a keeper.
Can’t wait to try this!!
Deb!
What perfect timing. Seriously down with a head cold here, not planning the way I should for my holiday baking, and wondering what to start with.
Thank you for saving me the stress of figuring out what to do first.
(Plus, I’ve been trying various gingerbread biscotti for a while, but haven’t yet found the one for the permanent file. If past experience is any guide, this is likely it.)
Loved how festive your fabric backdrop looks in photo #1. Like summer, birthday parties, holiday festivities, etc. Kind of takes my mind off the thermometer today, and gives me the incentive to bake some goodies..the oven will warm up the house too! Will ignore the beach photo, as that is just wayyyy too much to contemplate. Cookies, however, are not.
Yum!! This looks absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to try it!
I make biscotti every year. thanks for deciding for me what flavor I should make!
I’d love to make these gingerbread biscotti but am wondering if oil could be used instead of butter.
Also…can I omit the cloves without changing the taste too much?
Thank you
These look delicious! But I can’t eat dairy. Is there a substitute you’d recommend for the butter?
I think I need to make these tonight and dip them in dark chocolate!
if I bake these then I’m going to have to eat them and then I can’t weigh-in at Weight Watchers!!!!!! I don’t know what to do!!!! These biscotti look awesome!
I love how easy this recipe is to make and your use of black pepper!
Maureen — I think coconut oil would be good here.
Molly — I feel pretty confident that you could add a tablespoon of molasses here, especially if you halved the vanilla, without causing too much trouble, if you wanted to amp up the molasses flavor. For me, it was more of the matched levels of cinnamon and ginger with a bit of cloves and black pepper that made it gingerbread-y, but as I said, it’s a bit on the mild side. Some extra molasses could intensify it.
Do you have the weights? Almost one bowl!
You read our minds. I am all about anything gingerbread this month. And, in general, chocolate + ginger, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper = yes.
Have you ever tried making mandelbrodt? I grew up with a cinnamon sugar chocolate chip variety. A friend’s mom used to make them, and I have no idea where to begin.
YES!!! I’m making the hot chocolate mix for holiday gifts this year (test drove it this weekend and YOWZA – is it ever good!) Was stuck on what easy dipping cookie to put in the gift boxes, and once again it’s Deb to the rescue. My holiday giftees thank you in advance!
Could the dough be frozen — at what stage (perhaps log form, but not baked)?
Lovely! But please, oh please, tell us how to tweak for graham-cracker flavored!
Gosh these look amazing. Contemplating adding some crystallized ginger bits to up the ginger factor. And yes! Weights would be lovely. Hate dirtying up those measuring cups unnecessarily.
Damn eggs! I swear they will be the death of me. I’ll have to stick to my gingerbread coffee.
These look scrumptious. And I wouldn’t be mad if some molasses or clove made it’s way into my hot cocoa. Yum! Yum! I hope your family has recovered from the harsh interigations :)
Just want to say these pics are stunning. The combination of these mildly spiced biscotti with that hot chocolate is just perfect. Thank you!
Would love to make these tonight – hoping there will be updates with weights!
This looks so good!! :D I’ll make these this weekend
Biscotti is one of my favorite things about going to a local coffee shop. I always getvsome to dip in my coffee. I love the idea of a gingerbread version that I can make at home!
Two of my favorite things combined into one! Hope you enjoyed your vacation :)
What a great post. The cookies look delicious, especially the photo with the hot chocolate. Your gift and trip sound fabulous. And, as proof that it is a small world, I live in Winnipeg Canada, home of the original McNally Robinson bookstore and parent to yours in SoHo. I should order another book just for that reason!
Last night, my exact words to my husband “I HATE gingerbread.” This coming from a person who eats anything – seriously – and is disturbed by the fact that I’ve yet to have any form of treat with the words “gingerbread” in it that I find enjoyable.
This morning: ta-da! Your taunting post! So, Deb, if anyone can convert me, it is the works of smitten kitchen. I will give this a try in hopes of finding a new love!
I’m planning on making your apple cider caramels for my husband’s co-workers this week. A sweet little bundle of these might have to go in the box, too! Thanks.
These sound amazing, adding the ingredients to today’s shopping list so I can make them ASAP? Would it be very wrong to maybe dip half in dark chocolate?
Cinnamon-sugar (optional)…you must be kidding! :) The “thin layer of melted mini marshmallows” has got me. I’m dyin’ here! You’ve done it again! Thanks!
Those look amazing. I was just trying to decide what kind of biscotti to gift with the hot chocolate mix I made, and you may have just decided for me! I probably wouldn’t have thought of gingerbread, my mind always goes to chocolate!
Are the extra 2 Tbsp of flour for the cookie batter? Or for the hands?
Is there any way to make these with less sugar? I’ve been trying to live sugar free and the holidays are killing my efforts. Can we compromise? Maybe we can forgive the indulgence of these amazing looking biscotti if we reduce the sugar? Will that ruin the recipe?
Oh Deb, I just perused all your cookie recipes on Pinterest after thinking “Gee Golly, what kind of treats can I box up and send to my in-laws this year?” and am reminded why I’m so smitten. This website is so totally my culinary happy place.
Typo alert: I think you might want to take a look at the second sentence. My sincere apologies if it is written as intended.
Looks beautiful and sounds delicious!
Deb…where’s the brown butter? I saw melted butter and that was the first thing I thought. I know, I study your blog too much. I can’t help it.
And just a merry vacation side note – you rock! Thanks for sharing with us “less-willing-to-obsess-and-spend-the-time-to-perfect-these-recipes” kind of people.
I’m not much of a dunker–crumbs in my hot chocolate are not my favorite thing, but I’m a sucker for gingerbread spices this time of year and as much as I love soft and chewy cookies, I think crunchy cookies are underappreciated in the US. These go on the list of things to make. (As if that list wasn’t a mile long already…)
This is perfection ♡ will definitely make it very soon ;)
wow these look really wonderful :) thanks for the recipe!
Made a half recipe. Couldn’t resist! Fabulous
I guess I’m the minority, but you had me at graham cracker. What changes would you make to get that flavor here?
Oh yum! I’m totally making this for Christmas gifts to give with a jar of your decadent hot chocolate mix! Thank you for the gift to give those who don’t need a thing!
Derek — Sometimes, just sometimes, I resist the siren call of brown butter, heh. But actually, I am not sure that the flavor would come through here. I’d blame the spices, and they wouldn’t help, but I also used a base something like this to make hazelnut brown butter chocolate chunk biscotti (okay, a mouthful!) last year and could barely taste the brown butter there either. Such a bummer. You can save your efforts; it’s just not a very buttery recipe so it’s hard to taste it here.
Gisele — For the batter. Should have mentioned you’ll need some extra for your hands.
To make these graham flavored — I might have started with all the sugar as dark brown sugar, I’d definitely add a tablespoon or two of honey, probably skip the vanilla, you might need 1 extra tablespoon flour to make up for the honey’s moisture, hard to say for sure, no ginger or pepper, just cinnamon and cloves, and I’d probably swap 1/4 the flour for graham flour or whole wheat. I haven’t tested it this way, but if you do, let me know how it goes.
I am still immersed in the hot chocolate – these will be fun to try
Update: you are a gingerbread evangelist extraordinaire! I love it! I also love that this is no doubt the quickest and easiest recipe I’ll make all season. I had everything on hand and it made the house smell amazing. My husband is currently enjoying his dunked in hot cocoa (not your recipe-that’s tomorrow’s work). Also, we decided to plunge about half of them in dipping chocolate – yes, please! I’ll definitely be making another batch for gifts this Christmas. Want to post a chocolate biscotti recipe next? I promise to try it!
Done, and done! Not sure what it is about your recipes that says we cannot put these in a folder. We must make them now! I love everything I have made from your book and blog but, I must say I could see using brown butter here and molasses, maybe even some extra clove. In any event I will very much enjoy eating these with my morning coffee.
p.s. Just read your thoughts about brown butter in this case. Makes sense. I love you ideas for adding whole wheat flour and honey. Maybe next year.
I make biscotti to give away every Christmas. Some years eight kinds. This year only three: traditional almond, chocolate-pecan and gingerbread (with molasses). The leftover gingerbread ends are mine for dunking in hot apple cider.
I loooove gingerbread. This is a perfect pairing for your fancy shmancy hot chocolate. or a nice cup of tea. Win!!
I’m a sucker for gingerbread anything, so thank you for the recipe. I’ve been wondering lately about homemade hot chocolate. Do you have a recipe? I’ve been planning to buy a mix, but I also figured that I must have all the ingredients on hand. Can’t be much more than cocoa, milk, and sugar, right?
It has never occurred to me to add gingerbread into the mix when making biscotti. This post has me seriously questioning why I haven’t. These look so tasty!
Me again.
Made a batch of these, but couldn’t leave well enough alone and added a teaspoon of fresh ginger and a handful of finely minced candied ginger. Very tasty end result, but I do think I threw off the balance of spices with so much ginger. Still DELICIOUS, however, and wonderfully fragrant.
Thanks for helping me get my holiday baking started.
What I love about biscotti in the winter time is the fact that it goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. Added to the fact that these are gingerbread flavored, I would imagine that these are just perfect for the holiday season. Thanks for the recipe!
I have these baking off right now and then I think I will dunk half in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with minced candied ginger. Boom.
I have to agree with your family and friends, there’s nothing quite like gingerbread biscotti to dunk in a bowl of hot chocolate
Yep, hot cocoa definitely needs a cookie to be dunked into it. And these cookies look unreal!! I just love them!
Yes yes yes! Can’t wait to try this recipe!
And Deb – a great big thank you from New Zealand for doing the “other side of the world” six-month links!
That’s a really cute card!
Abbie (#54) is joking–right?
These look perfect for gifts (and me)! Do you think you could add some roughly chopped hazelnuts to give it more crunch?
Any chance of metric conversions Deb for those of us outside the US? Thanks.
Just starting my holiday baking; may add this to the list. I tend to do pine nut lemon biscotti for the holidays but they rarely last more than a day or two as my boys can’t resist. These will be a nice christmasy addition
Question: How thick is your dough for the gingerbread? I made an authentic gingerbread once. Once. And it made my KitchenAid Stand Mixer seize up. I’ve been gun-shy to go back.
Also, you were here at the right time — The Polar Vortex is coming to South Florida and it won’t be above 70 degrees for the next week!
Yum! I love gingerbread and biscotti so they must be delicious! I can’t wait to try them. Thanks for sharing.
Deb, several of your recipes call for 7 tablespoons butter. Why not 8, to make a tidy half-cup? I get my butter in pounds, so I eyeball half a half-pound! Does it matter that much?
Hi Deb I would really like to make these to go with the choclate mix of yours I made the other day but there aren’t any weight measurements. Would it be at all possible for you to add these on. I love reading your blog and I can’t wait to make these. Thank you.
Kind regards
Courtney xxx
That’s hilarious — I just saw your hot chocolate post. Perfecto! Thanks!
Weight measurements — Just added! Sorry, a little slow this week. Call it vacation recovery. ;)
Claire — Here, I would not add more. A cake might be more forgiving. Often the recipes come from European ones, where 7 tablespoons is about a nice even 100 grams, a standard measurement. Sometimes I do fix the recipe to make it all even out but here, the cookie is very much a structure and having a little bit too little or much egg could make it less tasty.
Monica — Yes, I suggest in the recipe that one could add some chocolate chunks or nuts of you choice, if desired (and no need to use the whole amount either).
Absolutely perfect timing! I was just looking around the internet for a holiday treat recipe to ship across the country for my family this year. Due to the pickiness of my family it must meet an inordinate list of requirements, the least of which it has to be chocolate-free. These are absolutely perfect! Biscotti is the perfect traveler, and with the dry ingredients of your hot chocolate on the side, those troubled souls who steer clear of chocolate can omit, while the more sane of us can happily indulge. Thanks for a beauty!
SK’s Gingerbread Biscotti + Hot Chocolate = Trader Joe’s Speculoos Cookie Cocoa Swirl.
Yes. Yes, please.
These look heavenly!! Perfect to dip in your morning coffee/latte/cocoa or whatever strikes your fancy. Can’t wait to try this recipe. xo
Dang it, home early to avoid icy roads at quitting time, on my way to chop nuts for my biscotti recipe, distracted by this recipe.
Normally missing one or two ingredients so I can read with interest and move on. Not today. Can’t wait. Should be good after snow shoveling, will find out soon!
Just made these and they are fantastic!! The texture and spices are lovely. I think I might experiment with cardamom and black pepper in the future. I didn’t add nuts–just kept them plain–and am going to wrap them up with the cocoa mix recipe you posted the other day to give as gifts. Thank you for making my holiday gifting a snap!
I’m adding theae to my baking list for the holidays. Anything ginger and I’m all over it/
I’ve never tried making biscotti before! I’ll have to give this one a try :)
This happens all the time, I’ll think “wow, I want to make so and so soon” then BAM you post it not 3 days later usually. It’s happened constantly this past year. This time it was biscotti, I wanted to include it in my usual Christmas goodies package I give to people.
I love your recipes, they’ve never failed me. :)
What a brilliant idea! These must be fantastic with coffee or hot chocolate!
Starbucks used to have a gingerbread macadamia nut biscotti that I waited every year for, but they stopped making it a couple of years ago. I just made these and added macadamia nuts. They are perfect! Exactly what I was craving
Heat oven to 350¯F (175°F)
what does this mean? = gingerbread biscotti recipe
Yes, I totally miss that Starbucks biscotti Jen mentioned! Pinned.
Sometimes I wish you were vegan. I’d like to try so many things you but most of them contain egss.
I just love this idea! Sounds awesome!
I just want you to know, that everyday I keep hitting the “surprise me” button, and get really angry every time I realize, there isn’t a post I haven’t seen… That’s all.
maddy — Yes! Lemon and gingerbread are very traditional/popular together, see here. That said, no reason to use it if it’s not a combination you’d like. You can skip the lemon, use water instead.
cathy — Whoops, typos. Now fixed. Correctly, it reads: 350°F (175°C)
Mandy — You’re going to have to send me some of your energy! No seriously, please?
I was in NYC last week and was in this book store and was holding your book, how strange is that. But then I saw another favorite cooking book “My Portugal” and had to make a decision. Hope to get your book another time.
Just ate one, my first time making biscotti and they turned out great.
Thanks for taking such good care of us! Hot chocolate and biscotti… that’s what i call proper care, not to mention all other recipe ideas on your blog/book.
Yum! I love biscotti! What a great festive spin on it!
I love your flour and sugar canisters, how much do they hold? Also, where did you find them? Thank you!
Made this recipe as written today – only change was to use half whole white flour and half all-purpose flour. Biscotti turned out perfectly – taste great – and the whole process was very simple. Thanks for the idea and the new addition to my recipe file!
Deb, you are changing my life! I was just introduced to you when my friend gave me a copy of your cookbook for my birthday. She also made me your amazing mushroom bourguignon and pumpkin gingersnap tart as part of my gift. :)
In a few weeks since receiving your cookbook, I have become interested in cooking for the first time in my life! I want to thank you so much for introducing me to the true joy of cooking. Also I just made these gingerbread biscotti, and they are nothing short of amazing. I followed your recipe exactly and they came out perfect! Thanks Deb! I can’t wait to keep cooking along with you. :)
Is it a big deal if I put the sugars in with the flour? I read “mix the dry ingredients” and went ahead and put ALL the dry ingredients in to the bowl. A tad confusing…
Bonnie — No, you should be just fine.
Loved these! The only change I made reduced the brown sugar and added in molasses. Dipped one side in melted chocolate and then covered with nuts! Made a great addition to my Christmas cookie platter! TY
Fantastic recipe. Had never made biscotti before and they came out perfectly. I love the size cookie it makes – much less intimidating than the extra-large, bakery style biscotti. I subbed in molasses for half of the vanilla (and then a smidge more), and added 1/4 tsp cardamom rather than the 1/8 tsp cloves. I think the flavor is outstanding. Thanks, Deb!
Beautiful – something that will definitely impress at Christmas. I never even considered to make a homemade version – thank you!
What would I need to change to make these into mini biscotti? Temperature, time? Thanks!
Helene — You could definitely make more logs, but narrower, say, half the width. Not sure about baking time; likely more than half, but of course less than the full-sized. No need to change the temperature. Enjoy.
Just made them! Easy process, great directions, as always. My sticky logs of dough behaved perfectly. I added white chocolate chunks but skipped the sugar/cinnamon dip in the interest of less crumbs, as these will be given out to kids for dunking at a holiday carols and cocoa party. They are delicious and beautiful! Also love the shelf-life — I made them today for a party next Friday. Now to hide/forget about them until then!
Made these gingery little delights last night and they are almost all gone!! Amazing recipe, made to the directions (a rarity for me), added butterscotch chips on a whim and they worked.
Pure Heaven….
made these last night as well. very good. they slice well, so look great to give as gifts (as some crumble a bit when slicing-these do not). while i loved the flavor and texture, i agree, they were not very gingerbread like in flavor. they taste more like snickerdoodle biscotti. i added one tablespoon of molasses since i felt that it might have been needed to give it more intense gingerbread taste. it was not enough, would add much more the next time. my favorite gingerbread biscotti recipe calls for 1/4c. molasses. very delicious, despite that mild flavor.
Deb your recipe for “gingerbread biscotti” was so easy to follow and the results were amazing. My husband grabbed one before they even cooled off. I gathered the crumbs and saved them for topping on ice cream tonight. Thank you for all the years of great recipes, photos and especially enjoy your opinions and intro to each post. Happy Holidays to you and your family and everyone here on this great blog.
I just made these and couldn’t resist nibbling on the crumbs when they came out of the oven halfway through. Delicious! For once everything turned out exactly like the picture. Made the hot choc mix too. Pity I have to give it all away for Christmas gifts!
Hi.. I have these baking off right now and then I think I will dunk half in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle with minced candied ginger. It’s good when yo cook at The Best Kitchen Design Ideas
Can’t wait to try these! I hope these (and other new cookie recipes) will be linked to your cookie page: http://smittenkitchen.com/cookie-recipes/ I love scrolling through this page, looking at the great pictures, and deciding which cookie to bake next! Plus I have it bookmarked as a favorite. :)
I added 1 tablespoon of molasses, forgot to reduce the vanilla, and added 1/2 cup chopped candied ginger. I dipped them in turbino sugar. Not hey turned out beautifully! Thank you for sharing!
I’m not even finished with these and am in love! Have eaten the heels while the second baking is going on. I’m afraid I’ll have to make a second batch to have enough for presents. Not exactly hard duty! Thanks for such a winner recipe!
Cooling on the racks now. Can’t wait to hand out little baggies of them at work tomorrow. They smell delicious. I like the molasses and ginger idea. I’ll have to try that too. Thanks Deb for another great recipe.
Made these today to RAVE reviews. Did 2 batches – one with dark chocolate chips and one plain and debates were raging with the conclusion that this is a KEEPER. thanks for posting another great recipe.
happy holidays :))
I made these using canola oil (approximately 6 tablespoons) instead of the melted butter and they came out terrific. Thank you for the recipe.
Just had to add that we enjoyed the gingerbread biscotti with a glass of Cabernet the other night for dessert. Fabulous pairing!!
Biscotti are definitely on our favorites list and they make nice gifts as well…if there are any left over that is!
I made this yesterday — I was worried because the bottom of one “loaf” got a bit too dark. But I tasted them today and I don’t taste anything “burnt” so your recipe is a big success! I like that it’s not an overwhelming ginger flavor. I will probably make more later this week and give them away next week. First time making biscotti — pretty easy, just have to watch the timing a little next time.
Merry Christmas and Happy Everything! I just spent a weekend in the kitchen making food gifts for my Scrabble Sisters (you know, once a month Scrabble Night, instead of bridge or bowling lol). Today was our Christmas and ta-da, also my birthday get-together. We never get to the Scrabble, although the hot tub between lunch out and dessert was nice :) I made your Gingerbread Biscotti and as I had clicked on the Food Gifts link, everyone also received Pickled Grapes with Cinnamon and Black Pepper. Those are FABULOUS. My friend said to me, you’re the only one I’d ever expect to pickle grapes!! The rest of the bounty were from my repertoire and were goodies they have come to rely on. Thank you thank you thank you for having such reliable, delightful and delicious recipes for us to try. I am never worried about preparing anything coming from smittenkitchen.com and I recommend the site and the book ALL THE TIME.
Ooo, can’t wait to make these. I’m having a trunk show of my jewelry, and am planning on serving them with hot cider. Won’t be as yummy as with hot chocolate, but I think they’ll be just dandy. Thanks, Deb!
I made these today. Pretty good but the spice factor could definitely be upped! They also kind of broke apart when cutting, so beware…that pesky lower part of the border on both sides.
I’ve made these twice now, once with the egg wash and once without because I did not like the eggy smell or taste from the egg wash on the first batch. Other than the second batch not being as shiny there is no visual difference in the biscotti. I had no trouble at all with slicing and having them stay together and they stayed together just fine when turning during the second baking. I would agree not a strong gingerbread flavor but very nice with a cup of coffee or tea. My first batch also got a little too brown on the bottom like Beth #116 but also did not taste burnt.
Just reporting back in to mention that of all the biscotti I made this holiday season, these are my favorites.
I did add a bit of extra ginger, a teaspoon of fresh and about a half cup of candied ginger minced.
Didn’t use an egg wash, just baked them plain.
Sliced beautifully, and even though I sliced them kinda thin, they tend to stay intact without breaking, but aren’t tough.
Definitely a recipe for the keeper stack.
Your card is the cutest. Such a fun birthday surprise! Where did you go? Florida?
I just made these and the whole house smells Christmasy. They were simple and turned out just beautifully. This recipe is a keeper. Thank you!
Smells good. Tastes blah. Doesn’t taste of ginger at all. Basically tastes like vaguely sweet stale bread. I couldn’t really detect a well defined flavor. I was a lot happier when I amped up the ginger a LOT — a tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 4 ounces chopped candied ginger, 2 tablespoons ground ginger. Make it more of a gingersnap biscotti. Also benefited from 3 ounces molasses and 1/8 teaspoon cardamom. And it seemed to cook better if it was flatter. I made 8 inch by 6 inch slabs and they seemed to have more crunch.
Just made this over the weekend for Christmas parties and gifts (three batches in all!). It is my new favorite! I am sure I’ll be making this throughout the winter.
I made these today and they are everything you said. Delicious…thanks!
I love this gingerbread biscotti as a perfect idea for Christmas brunch or take away gifts for my guests.
I made these. I ate 3 of them before they even got to be rolled in the cinnamon-sugar. So so so good!
I made these last night and they were a total hit! Just delightful. Thank you!
Made the Biscotti for my Italian mother-in-law on her 90th birthday this month !!
They were delicious & she loved them. Dipped the ends in dark chocolate instead of rolling them in the sugar. Will be making these often. Thanks SK.
Deb! I made these last nights and they turned out delicious! The only problem was that when I was cutting them (even with a “gentle sawing motion” using a serrated knife) they still crumbled very easily. Is there a way to prevent this?
Laurel — Sometimes having something pressed up against the cut side of the log — a box, a baking pan with a straight side — can make it easier for you to then cut the next slice without the half-baked biscotti “tipping” midway and breaking.
Oh my goodness! I just made these….the best part is when you get a great bite with that coarse salt in it. What a subtle, delightful surprise to my taste buds! Can’t wait to put these out for Christmas morning!
Hey Deb, I’m looking to adapt the recipe so that instead of gingerbread, the biscotti are cranberry and pistachio flavoured. Do you reckon I’ll need to make any major adjustments to the amount of flour, butter or eggs? Thanks heaps!
Nithya — You might have an easier time starting with this fig walnut biscotti recipe, using pistachios for the walnuts and cranberries for the figs.
Yum! Made these for our office staff (a platter with little kuerig pods in the middle) it was gone in minutes! A big hit and people think biscotti is tricky baking – may not have pointed out how simple it is :)
Yummo! I increased the ginger and cinnamon to 1 tablespoon, added the aforementioned tablespoon of molasses, and also stirred in a couple tablespoons of finely diced candied ginger instead of the nuts. I drizzled the tops with white chocolate after baking instead of stirring in chips. And man, oh man… these are GREAT for dipping! Spicy enough to stand up to a dunk in milky coffee or hot chocolate, but not so strongly flavored that they clash with the flavor of the drink. I was going to bring these with to my in-laws, but I’ve eaten about half of the batch since I made them on Saturday, and it seems rude to bring an obviously half-eaten batch… so I guess they’ll get stashed in the freezer for later. Psssssh to after-Christmas dieting.
Just wanted you to know that I’ve made THREE batches of these in the last 14 days! Made them for the family at CookieFest (family cooking adventure, and I mean ADVENTURE with my 5 siblings and 10 nieces and nephews and one Oma), for an open house, and then for book club. Nary a one left – guess batch #4 is happening tonight!
I tried making these and only got a yield of approximately 13 biscotti, which seems a far cry from 30-34 :( but I don’t think that I made the biscotti much larger than those in the pictures! Also found my batter to not be wet at all, in fact probably too dry as the resulting biscotti is quite crumbly. Does anyone know why the biscotti would be of this texture? In any case, the taste is still delightful. I added dried cranberries which I thought was nice– a little sweet, tart surprise in a bite.
I have made these at least 5 times in the last week and a half! It goes down so quickly! I make have with some almonds and the other with 85% dark chocolate and almonds together….awesome! I was thinking they taste nearly like chai maybe a hint of cardoman might be good with it!
I made these today, and just dunked one into your decadent hot chocolate, as God intended…they are excellent! Enough crunch with interior chew-just how I like my biscotti.
Thanks for your dedication and excellent recipes that make me believe that I too am a kitchen wizard…Happy New Year, Deb!
I made these for Christmas gifts to go along with the Decadent Hot Chocolate! Everyone loved them. I love the salt in the biscotti….along with all of the spices. I increased the cloves to 1 teasoon. My kitchen smells yummy every time I bake these. So after eating my last ones out of five pre-Christmas batches, today I made two more batches. OMG! I’m going to start making these in the fall and freezing them to have them ready for Christmas. Thank you so much for sharing this delicious treat!
I made these, decreasing the sugars slightly and substituting one cup of the APF with white whole wheat flour. I also skipped the cinnamon sugar step and they came out great – spicy and just a little sweet. I was making them to have a stash for myself but, surprisingly, my 18-month-old and 6-year-old love them! Next time, I may experiment with coconut oil and substituting honey for some of the sugar. Thanks!
I am allergic to eggs. Can you suggest substitute for it.
Due to a backlog of “must try” new recipes, did not have a chance to make these until yesterday…what a mistake! These would have been a stellar addition to my holiday cookie plates. Not much to do but roll them out for Valentine’s Day… Thank you for a truly excellent cookie. (PS: I used 1-1/3 cups finely chopped pecans in my batch; and I used the cinnamon sugar coating–a special little cookie.)
Made these — after far too long ogling them — today, using a full teaspoon of cloves like my favorite gingersnap recipe suggests. I also subbed 5 Tbs. oil, per several other biscotti recipes, for the butter and added in 2 Tbs. molasses for a gentle little kick of gingerbready goodness. It’s Christmas in February — despite the “74 degrees & sunny” happening here in Southern California! Absolutely fabulous!
Vicki, this is the second time I’ve made these, and the first time they came out perfectly, and this time the dough was very very loose and dry like you said. I think it might have been the size of my eggs. I added a third beaten egg to the mix and got the right consistency.
Mmmm! These look perfect to bake right before buyers of our house come visit! Plus, my boyfriend will be so happy to see nut-free biscotti!!
When’s the best time to freeze these? Before the second bake before slicing?
Jenny — That or when they’re done.
Just made these for a holiday party! I’ve completed the slicing and noticed that the center of the loaf – the middle 1/3 or so – was quite baked all the way through. Do you think I should’ve baked it a touch longer? Ha, I ate some of the “damper” pieces that stuck to my knife and they are delicious. I’m assuming baking the slices will firm everything up but I’d like to make these again, I can already tell!
Can these be baked in a toaster oven? I’m thinking I may need to modify something, cooking time or other, but not sure. Presently without an oven and really want to try these. Thanks!
Omg. Home run!! I made these with my 3 and 4 year old sons – they did all the mixing and all I can say is my home smells amazing! You’re the best Deb!
Making these right now and they smell (and the dough tastes) AMAZING. Wow. I added white chocolate chunks. The only drawback is that my batch spread like it’s supposed to, but it didn’t rise very high at all… I tested my baking powder afterward and it’s still good, so I don’t know what the problem was. Oh well, I’m sure they’ll be delicious albeit thin biscotti.
Love love love these so much. Dark, real gingerbread falls into the category of Strong German Foods I Want to Love and am acclimating myself to (along with dark beer and sauerkraut) and these are the perfect gateway drug. Making the hot cocoa to dunk them in now! Also looking forward to a dip in my espresso tomorrow morning (or perhaps that aforementioned beer if finals week gets the best of me, eh he heh)
Try dipping them in a glass of Cabernet…..DELICIOUS!!
I made these yesterday and they are amazing. All three of my kids loved them also. It was the perfect to go along with my coffee on my drive to work this morning. They will not last long. I for see making this often this winter.
Tried these and they’re amazing!! I skipped the egg wash(too lazy!) My kid loves them. The second batch had some diced, candied ginger added(super yum!) Thank you for a great recipe! Dipped them into coffee yesterday for the first time and I almost died…sooo lovely :-)
These look so good, I can’t wait to try and bake them. The idea of a finding a cookie recipe for dunking in hot chocolate is a great idea. I love how these cookies have enough ginger, cloves, and other spices to make them taste wintry but not too much to have overwhelming flavor. These would be even better with some sort of glaze on top. What is the pepper in the recipe for? Does it really make a difference in the flavor?
Can you clarify the baking power measurement please? Is two teaspoons or 10 grams? … for the cinnamon you indicate 2 teaspoons is 4 grams ???
Evelyn – baking powder and cinnamon have different density, 1 tsp of paking powder is more than double the weight of 1 tsp cinnamon!
evelyn — It’s 2 teaspoons, which is usually 10 grams. Cinnamon usually weighs less. Gram measurements below 10, however, are very hard to get accurate at home with home scales and I prefer using spoons for tiny amounts.
Inga — The pepper is for a little kick; it’s not uncommon in gingerbread. I don’t usually glaze biscotti because I wouldn’t want the glaze in my drink but I suppose you could melt white or dark chocolate and dip it.
I used 1 Tbs of garam masala, 1/2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp cinnamon (no black pepper). They turned out wonderfully! My current garam masala is has cumin listed low on the ingredients so I felt safe using a whole Tbs. I think if there was more cumin, I would swap out less than 1 Tbs for the spices recommended. :)
amazing! skipped the egg wash and added 2 tablespoons of molasses. the whole family couldn’t stop eating these with hot cocoa. really really easy and delicious.
nice thanking you
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I made these for Christmas for my boyfriend’s family two years ago and they still talk about how delicious they were when I see them! I can’t wait for fall and cool temps to make these again.
This is perfection! One note: I could not get the cinnamon sugar to stick AT ALL so I brushed egg white on each piece of biscotti, again, at that stage. Once it was wet with the egg white the cinnamon sugar stuck beautifully.
Seriously these are so good. I always add a little less sugar than recipes call for and that was fine here.
Do I absolutely need to use coarse sea salt and the pepper? What about kosher salt and no pepper? Thanks so much.
Love your recipes
Yes, you’ll be just fine.
I just made these – one batch as written and one batch with cardamom. SO GOOD! I strongly recommend throwing a teaspoon in if you like the taste of it.
Made these to go with hot cocoa gift bags and they taste divine! Mine are a bit on the soft side – I may try to pop them in for a third bake!
For those who said they are bland: I’m guessing it may have to do with the quality of your spices. I used Penzeys for all and the flavor a are anything but bland. It’s perfectly sharp!
I just made these a couple of days ago exactly as directed. Excellent!
I didn’t mind so much that the cinnamon and sugar didn’t stick to every part of the biscotti — it was just enough to not completely overwhelm the other flavors, or make them too messy to eat while sitting on the couch. :)
I’ve been looking at Gongerbread Biscotti recipes for weeks! I am definitely making these today. Looks like a great recipe.
I love gingerbread, I love biscotti… I just cannot wait until I can try this recipe. Well, I have go wait until I go to the grocery store, but after that…
I just pulled these out of the oven. I made them with chocolate chunks and without the cinnamon sugar dusting (I figured both would be overkill). Delicious! It was also a very easy recipe requiring no mixer, the dough came together easily and was no problem to form into logs.
I have a convection oven, and the timing was: 18 minutes for first bake, then 6 then 3 minutes after flipping.
I wanted a chocolatey/gingerbready cookie to contrast with the sugar cookies I also made for my holiday party. This fit the bill perfectly! I will make these again.
Two separate co-workers made this as a holiday gift this year! I really liked the use of coarse sea salt—it provided a nice level of saltiness.
I made these just before Christmas and loved them, so I am making them again tonight!! The recipe worked perfectly. I made them plain and only skipped the cinnamon sugar at the end – which I didn’t miss… Thank you so much Deb!
Of all the cookies I made this year, these gingerbread biscotti got the most compliments and deep, pleasurable groans. I made them without plain (no nuts). Dipping them into a coffee was a delight.
such a big fan of gingerbread! made these today for friends. added about 1 T of molasses and choc chips! delish! thank you!
I love this recipe but how can I keep the logs from spreading so much? I start with 2-1.5″ wide logs and end up with 2- 5-6″ wide logs. I’ve tried making more narrow but they just keep spreading. I use a silpat- would a different pan or extra flour help? I’d really like a smaller (shorter) cookie. Any ideas? and have a wonderful book tour (#2!) and I wish you all the best!
Mine spread more than I wanted so for the next batch, I chilled the dough before shaping them into 2 logs that were a little less than 2″ wide. Instead of flour, I wet my hands to handle the dough. Baked on parchment-lined sheet pans.
This is my go-to biscotti recipe. Its cinnamony, gingery flavor is absolutely addictive. I like it best with white chocolate chips as the mix-in. I’ve made it a few times and I generally need to add just a bit more flour to make the dough workable. Oh, and I always brown the butter, because I’m no newbie to this blog.
What a great idea to brown the butter! I’ll try that next time I make these.
Do you think you could substitute almond flour for all purpose in this recipe?
Making these again tonight. I made these once plain and then every time after that with a coarsely chopped Green & Blacks white chocolate bar thrown in. It was just enough to add a little something to the wonderful spicy flavor. Dunking them in hot chocolate makes the white chocolate chunks melty and delicious, too. Yum!
I made these and had one small issue. I used “coarse sea salt” as directed, but I am wondering if that’s an error. Coarse sea salt has granules that are the size of dried split peas. This made for several bites of biscotti that were VERY salty. Other than those very salty bites, which were not in every cookie thank goodness, the biscotti were delicious!
Made these and love them! The only change I will make is to use a little less salt as the salt had a distinct taste in each of the biscotti. This recipe was extremely easy and my biscotti looks exactly like the images above. I did not add in any of the extras as I thought they were perfect in their simple form. I did dip them in the cinnamon sugar.
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I’ve made this a few times and my boys request this biscotti ALMOST as much as my chocolate chip cookies. That’s saying something… This is by far one of my favorite recipes and I don’t change a thing (though I do use spices from Penzy’s).
I made these this afternoon. They spread much wider than yours and they are a lot darker in so they are not “browning”. I followed the recipe exactly as written. What did I do wrong?
Not sure what happened at all. Spreading more can happen but it shouldn’t be a lot. Did you use flour weights or cups?
I have chronic issues with biscotti spreading more than I’d like, so I always make the logs narrower and taller than in recipes. The other thing that really matters is fresh baking powder. It really loses it’s oomph after about six months. I replace mine twice a year and I’ve noticed it makes a difference in things like this and biscuits.
These were absolutely amazing and so easy to make! For some reason they’re missing from the Christmas category on the site, they should definitely be in there :)
These are wonderful! Such an easy recipe and my house smells wonderful! Already putting together another batch.
Easy and delicious. A big hit with the 16 month old, who is using them as teething biscuits.
I discovered this recipe just before Christmas and made a batch to give to my friends as gifts. I followed your recipe but didn’t add anything extra. I didn’t dip them in cinnamon sugar. Instead I dipped the bottom half of each cookie in melted white chocolate. My friends LOVED them. They were such a big hit that I am making another batch!
I really love the little bottles you have your spices in. Can you tell me where you bought them?
I wrote about it over here, many years ago!
Can I make these with a gluten free flour substitute (c4c) without changing the end result too drastically?
Not sure; I haven’t tried it and nobody else has commented yet with adaptations. Perhaps you can be first!
I think I need to accept the challenge! Photo and notes to follow this week. ( But only if they are tasty!)
No, share either way. :)
I have not been gifted with the Christmas spirit yet, but decided to try this gingerbread biscotti recipe for our upcoming Cooky Swap.We have several family members who are gluten free for health reasons, so a bit of substitution was warranted.I used KAF C4C all purpose GF flour, and everything else remained the same.
My house smells wonderful, the cookies are beautiful and according to my 86 year old mother, they taste like Christmas. Thank you Deb for sharing these recipes and for encouraging me to give it a try, gluten free!
Love this recipe. Not in your face overly gingerbread which is great for a coffee dipper. A little kick. Just what I was looking for. These will be gifted for sure.
Love this recipe. Not in your face overly gingerbread which is great for a coffee dipper. A little kick. Just what I was looking for. I did not use the cinnamon sugar. These will be gifted for sure.
I made these last year and they were a big hit. People still remember them and are requesting them.
Moan… I can”t get the NY Times article referenced at the top of today’s blog posting. I would need to subscribe, which I’m not ready as I already subscribe to 2 newspapers. I once had an offer to subscribe the G&M and for only a little more, get the Sunday Times. Well, way out here in the middle of the country, the Times arrived on Tuesday and, as anyone knows, that is not the day to be reading the Sunday Times.
Sincerely it’s the most delicious combination I’ve ever tasted.
I love them, they’re super delicious
I recommend it
I added 1 T. molasses and chopped candied ginger. Heaven!
Made this as written. I found the cinnamon a bit overpowering, so next time will increase ginger a bit and reduce cinnamon bit. I also have issues with biscotti spreading too much, so made the logs a bit narrower and taller and came out great.
This is my fourth Christmas making these. They are always requested. Make these, they are absolutely perfect
Made this yesterday with my partner for gifts (mostly) and it’s a delicious recipe. I didn’t want to waste an egg, so I subbed in melted butter for the egg white wash. It added an extra pop of buttery flavor that’s delicious. I had skipped the optional cinn sugar dip and so it added another type of flavor layer, by accident :)
This recipe is a keeper. Yum!
I kicked up the ginger quotient another notch with the addition of a cup of chopped crystallized ginger—I heartily recommend it! And I sprinkled the cinnamon sugar over the egg wash before baking, rather than coating the individual biscotti afterward. (I needed only a tablespoon or two of cinnamon sugar.)
****Biscotti hack: For the second baking, I place the biscotti on a cooling rack (rather than a baking sheet), which I place directly on the oven rack. This obviates the need to flip the biscotti halfway through the baking cycle, and also significantly reduces the baking time.
After finding this recipe a couple of years ago, I make these year round, they are that satisfying… to reach into the cookie jar and grab one for a quick treat with coffee is my little bit of heaven! They make excellent hostess and holiday gifts.
I consistently make these with all white whole wheat flour, light instead of dark brown sugar, and always a bit more spice just because… they are wonderful without the final sugar/cin dip.
Last batch I made in December I shipped to my son and family in Prague who promptly claimed them addictive. Thank you, Deb!
A must make! I reduced each sugar by 15 grams and made 3 logs to have smaller sized biscotti. Absolutely delicious. Make sure your logs are domed. I dipped a few in chocolate but this was not necessary. The cinammon sugar ones are great as indicated by Debbie. Loooooved them. Thank you for a great recipe.
This is my second time making them in one week. :) Delicious! I opted to omit the nuts and definitely did the cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect addition to a cup of coffee in December.
I made these for the first time and they were easy and delicious! I didn’t think I liked gingerbread; thanks for changing my mind! I will definitely make them again. I made a vanilla icing drizzle to top them which was good.
Pro tip: Don’t share this recipe with friends because they’ll all make these and then you won’t have the most amazing cookies to share at parties. Also, make a double batch because these disappear very quickly!
I followed one of the suggestions here to brown the butter when melting it, and I think that doing that solved the “problem” of having too soft a dough. Browning the butter removes moisture and so the dough was easy to form into loaves using wet hands rather than more flour. And the loaves spread perfectly when baked. I also followed others’ comments and added both cardamom and minced candied ginger. Skipped the egg white wash and the cinnamon sugar. Yum!
My first time making biscotti, and these were delicious! Really easy to make and taste SO good with a cup of chai or coffee.
Coming here to say that this has become a holiday tradition. It is always fabulous!
Using deep, dark brown sugar makes a big difference. Find the kind that is super dark and wet with molasses. In my area I find it at the upscale grocery stores or Whole Foods.
I like adding the white chocolate chunks.
These are really delicious, easy, and make great holiday gifts. I don’t bother with the cinnamon sugar dip (less messy that way too). A winner!
These were so good! Followed recipe exactly, no add-ins, but a big YES to the cinnamon-sugar dip. I used weight for the flour/sugar measures and had zero issues. I will definitely be making these again….. and again…. And again.