Last week, I scored some out of this world organic sugared ginger while marketing with my daughter, Captain Kitchen, at Fairway in Red Hook. This ginger is so good that we triple-tied the bag and made a bee line for the popped riced cake machine.
Whether you're getting out the feather and clearing out the chametz before Passover, looking for something to fill in for the chocolate you gave up for Lent; or if you're like me and you're going out on your 467th first date and despite going to the gym, vacuuming and changing the linens, you still have more energy than you know what to do with, bake these.
You might also want to bake them because they just may be about the best recipe I've ever published. No kidding.
And happy spring (that's a photo from the orchid show in the Bronx ... pretty cool, isn't it?)
peace and love,
jane
Ginger Bourbon Pecan Biscotti
Blue Heron Kitchen
Ingredients:
3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. kosher salt
½ c. whole wheat graham flour (Bob’s Red Mill)
4 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature (83% butterfat, European style is best)
3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. dark brown sugar
2 eggs, size large, room temperature
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground ginger
¾ c. pecans, toasted, cooled and chopped
3-4 oz. sugared (candied, but not in syrup) organic ginger
3-4 oz. sugared (candied, but not in syrup) organic ginger
1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp. bourbon (I use Maker's Mark for baking.)
1 egg white at room temperature
Coarse sanding sugar
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or Silpat.
In a small bowl, measure the sugars and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk both flours, baking powder, salt, graham flour, cinnamon and ground ginger together. Set aside.
In a Kitchen Aid mixer or with a hand held mixer, cream butter and sugars until very smooth.
Add eggs, and continue to beat, scraping down bowl as needed. (With your silicone beater blade, you'll be able to just about skip this tedious job.) Beat until light, smooth and creamy. Then, beat in extract and liquor (if you don’t have bourbon or if you're on the wagon, double the vanilla extract).
Dump in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed, until just incorporated.
Add the chopped pecans and chopped candied ginger, and mix just to blend. Finish it up by hand.
Form two rough logs, 12”-14” long and about 11/2“ – 2” wide each. Use your hands and don’t handle them too much. Don’t pat them too much or they’ll be too ‘dense’. Just be sure they aren’t too flat because they'll spread.
Whisk the egg white with a little bit of room temperature water (just a dash), until a little foamy. Brush on top of logs and sprinkle with the coarse sanding sugar.
Bake in the center of your preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes or until they logs are golden, turning the sheet around, half way through the first bake. The loaves should be slightly soft and springy to the touch.
Transfer to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes to 30 minutes. (The longer you cool them, the easier it will be to slice them for the second bake.) A serrated knife works best.
If you've turned off the oven, bring it back to 350º.
Transfer the logs to a large cutting surface (use a big spatula) and slice them on a slight angle, about 3/4” thick. Lay them on the sheets and bake them for about 10 more minutes. Once they start to turn ‘golden’, remove them from the oven and cool on racks.
Store in airtight container and hide (them, silly).
Yield: 3 to 3 1/2 dozen
