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Spiced Biscotti

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on January 2, 2012

Time

1¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Makes 4-5 dozen

Spiced Biscotti

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda ¼ teaspoon table salt ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper ½ teaspoon ground cloves ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon ground ginger 1 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Before You Begin

If desired, substitute three whole eggs for the two eggs and two egg yolks in this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Sift first eight ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Whisk sugar and eggs in a large bowl to a light lemon color; stir in vanilla extract. Sift dry ingredients over egg mixture, then fold in until dough is just combined.
  3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Halve dough and turn each portion onto an oiled cookie sheet covered with parchment. Using floured hands, quickly stretch each portion of dough into a rough 13-by-2-inch log, placing them about 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Pat each dough shape to smooth it. Bake, turning pan once, until loaves are golden and just beginning to crack on top, about 35 minutes.
  4. Cool the loaves for 10 minutes; lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cut each loaf diagonally into 3/8-inch slices with a serrated knife. Lay the slices about 1/2-inch apart on the cookie sheet, cut side up, and return them to the oven. Bake, turning over each cookie halfway through baking, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer biscotti to wire rack and cool completely. Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for at least 1 month.
Spiced Biscotti

Spiced Biscotti

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

1¾ hours, plus 20 minutes cooling

Yield

Makes 4-5 dozen

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Test Kitchen Techniques

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Test Kitchen Techniques

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a great biscotti recipe for crunchy—but not tooth-cracking—biscuits, full of flavor and easy to make. The lean dough relies on whole eggs and egg yolks, not butter, so the spices stay bold and the texture bakes up crisp, not rock hard. They taste great and remain very crisp after a week and, when stored properly (in an airtight container), they kept for a month.

Before You Begin

If desired, substitute three whole eggs for the two eggs and two egg yolks in this recipe.

Instructions

  1. Sift first eight ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. Whisk sugar and eggs in a large bowl to a light lemon color; stir in vanilla extract. Sift dry ingredients over egg mixture, then fold in until dough is just combined.
  3. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Halve dough and turn each portion onto an oiled cookie sheet covered with parchment. Using floured hands, quickly stretch each portion of dough into a rough 13-by-2-inch log, placing them about 3 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Pat each dough shape to smooth it. Bake, turning pan once, until loaves are golden and just beginning to crack on top, about 35 minutes.
  4. Cool the loaves for 10 minutes; lower oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cut each loaf diagonally into 3/8-inch slices with a serrated knife. Lay the slices about 1/2-inch apart on the cookie sheet, cut side up, and return them to the oven. Bake, turning over each cookie halfway through baking, until crisp and golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer biscotti to wire rack and cool completely. Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container for at least 1 month.

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