By Emma Hatcher.
Biscotti are an incredibly forgiving cookie and can be made quite a bit ahead, making them perfect for gifts given in person or by post. This recipe doesn’t contain any butter, which is the more traditional way to make them, and also means they’re dairy-free as well as gluten-free. The subtle honey flavour pairs wonderfully with the sweet and spicy chunks of crystallised ginger and hazelnuts would work well instead of the almonds too.
Makes lots!
Ingredients
225g gluten free plain flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional, will just help prevent crumbly cookies)
50g light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 medium free range eggs
75g honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Zest of 1/2 a lemon
75g crystalised ginger, roughly chopped
100g almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas mark 6 and line a baking tray with parchment.
Sift the flour, baking powder, xanthan gum if using, sugar and salt into a large bowl and whisk together. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and pour in the honey and vanilla extract. Add the zest of half a lemon and give everything a good whisk until thoroughly combined. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet, then add the crystallised ginger and hazelnuts. Bring everything together into a soft ball of dough – you might need to get in there with your hands towards the end. A wetter dough, rather than a dryer dough, is good.
Spoon the biscotti dough onto the lined tray and shape into a narrow rectangle. Place the tray into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the dough is firm to the touch and has turned a light golden brown.
Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150°C, 130°C fan, gas mark 2. Once the biscotti are cool (the dough will crumble if cut when hot), cut the dough into ½ inch slices and then lay the slices back on to the baking tray. Bake the biscotti for a further 20 minutes, or until dried out and crisp. Allow to cool fully on a wire rack, then store in an airtight container and they should last for a good week. To re-crisp, simply warm any biscotti back up in the oven for a few minutes.
