Cranberry & Ginger Biscotti
If there’s one thing I love, it’s a good coffee with a biscuit, or in this case Biscotti, on the side. During my childhood growing up in Toronto, Canada, each Sunday morning was spent with at my British Grandmother’s house for coffee and tea, with an assortment of cakes and cookies.
I inherited my deep love of anything ginger from her, especially confit ginger, and she passed on her much adored Biscotti recipe to me. Cranberries are grown in abundance in Canada, and are mixed with the sweet and spicy ginger in this recipe, making very “Canadian-inspired” Biscotti cookies.
Ingredients
- 3 and 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 1 Tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 Tsp salt
- 3/4 cup of butter
- 1 1/4 cups of sugar
- 3 Large eggs
- 1/3 cup of confit/crystallised ginger, diced in small pieces
- 1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries
Baking Instructions
- Set Oven to 350°F (180°C)
- In a Large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger.
- In a separate bowl, melt butter in the microwave (or stovetop), set aside to cool.
- While butter cools, chop the dried cranberries and dice the confit ginger.
- When butter is cooled, whisk in sugar, and three eggs until smooth.
- Add butter-sugar mixture to large bowl with flour and mix together with cranberries and ginger until dough forms. Divide the dough in two.
- With floured hands, on a greased (non-stick) cookie sheet, shape two 14″ (35cm) x 4″ (10cm) x 1/2″ (1.25cm) logs.
- Bake logs 25-30 minutes, or until exterior is light golden brown and toothpick inserted into interior comes out clean. Rotate halfway during baking time.
- After this first bake, remove from oven and transfer logs to a cutting board. Slice into 1/2″ pieces.
- Lower oven temperature to 325°F (160°C) Place slices cut-side down on baking sheet, and bake for another 25 minutes. Rotate halfway.
- Bake until lightly golden on both sides. Remove from oven and let cook on wire rack.
- Store in tight container for upto three weeks. Freeze upto 6 months.
The Pairings
Because of my history working as a Sommelier for so many years, I can’t help myself but to offer three different pairings!
Biscotti & Wine Pairing
Luxurious dessert wine and crunchy cookies are a pairing made in heaven. There’s a reason that this Classic pairing has worked for so long – it is delicious and a try success!
First – the Classic – Selvapiana Vin Santo and Biscotti (Cantucci). This ancient process of making Vin Santo starts by ageing the youthful juicy grapes in straw baskets for months after harvest, allowing them to shrivel and concentrate, to then vinify glorious dessert wines from these near-raisins. Selvapiana takes extra care to age their 100% Trebbiano Vin Santo even longer than the DOCG requires. The extra ageing contributes to the development of tertiary aromas – including ginger – that make it pair so well with these Biscotti.
Second – the Surprise – Domaine Rolet Vin de Paille and Biscotti. Tuscany isn’t the only region to practice straw-winemaking! The JURA is a region that has done this for centuries too! Made from Poulsard and Chardonnay, the wine is like Christmas in the glass – cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and dried red currants – an idea match to the cranberries!
Biscotti & Coffee Pairing
Coming from a Cosmopolitan city, I LOVE coffee, yet was surprised to discover that France didn’t have much of a coffee culture when I moved here in 2016. Fortunatley, I wasn’t looking hard enough, and of all places, right in the heart of the Jura, I found exactly what I was looking for – Fair Trade, Organic, hand-harvested, single-origin coffee. The beans are shipped to Europe via boat, and delicately-roasted on site at their boutique. Now located in the Poligny train station, I have my coffee supplier that I am happy to share with you – appropriately named Café Clandestin.
Biscotti & Tea Pairing
I live in Sancerre, and have the fortune to purchase all my teas from a delightful boutique dedicated to creating their own unique blends of Organic tea. This time of year, I’ve been reaching for the Ginger Citrus Rooibos that is the perfect match for these Biscotti.
