GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI with VEGAN & DAIRY FREE INSTRUCTIONS

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     Now that Thanksgiving is over it is time to transition from pumpkin and spice to gingerbread and chocolate mint recipes.  I was in the mood for cookies, which is a bit unusual for me, I always want cake.  I did not want to tackle gingerbread houses quite yet as I am still a bit worn out from all the Thanksgiving baking and cooking. Gingerbread Biscotti were just the thing...simple to make with a delicious spiced flavor.  The whole house smells wonderful with these baking. 
     I used my Macadamia and Chocolate Chip Biscotti recipe as the base.  I replaced the macadamia nuts with sliced toasted almonds, and added dried cranberries, molasses, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. The batter was a bit too runny with the molasses, so I added extra flour as well.  As some people (I won’t name names) do not ‘like chocolate’ (with the exception of just about every chocolate dessert I ever made) I baked half the biscotti without chocolate chips.  
     This gingerbread cookie is delightfully scrumptious and crisp, but not too hard.  Biscotti are twice-baked cookies that you can dunk in coffee, tea, hot cocoa, milk or whatever hot or cold beverage you choose.  I prefer a subtler spice flavor in foods.  If you like really strong, knock you socks off spices just amp up the amount of spices to your taste.  You can also add some black pepper if you like spicy gingerbread. 

GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI 

Ingredients
DRY

1 cup	Sorghum Flour
1 1/4 cup	Tapioca Flour
1/4 cup	Chickpea Flour
1/2 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1/8 tsp.	Sea Salt
2 1/2 tsp.	Baking Powder
1 tsp.	Ground Ginger
1 tsp.	Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp.	Ground Cloves
1 cup (optional)	Sliced and Toasted Almonds (You can use chopped walnuts or pecans or hazelnuts also.)
1/2 cup (optional)	Dried Cranberries or Currants or Raisins (To plump them up: soak the cranberries, or raisins or currants in a small bowl of hot water for 15 minutes.  Drain and pat dry before adding them to the other dry ingredients.)
1/2 to 1 cup (optional)	Chocolate Chips (For Dairy Free or Vegan use Dairy Free or Vegan Chips)

WET

2 large	Eggs  (For Vegan: In a small bowl add 1/2 cup water, 2 Tbs. Corn Starch, 2 tsp. oil, 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum & 1 tsp. baking powder. Whisk together well before adding to the rest of the wet ingredients.)
1/2 cup	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.)
1/3 cup	Olive Oil (or melted butter or margarine)
2 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
1 tsp.	Orange Zest (the zest from 1 orange)
1/4 cup	Molasses (Unsulphured Blackstrap)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with a silpat pad or parchment  paper.
2. Add all the flours, spices, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt to a large bowl.  Stir  until well mixed.  Add the nuts, cranberries (or currants or raisins) & chocolate chips,  if using and stir well.  Set aside.

   

   Wet ingredients on left and dry ingredients on right.

3. Add all the wet ingredients together and mix well.  
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in all at once.

   

   Wet ingredients poured into the dry ingredients.

5. Stir until well mixed.

   

   Batter all mixed.  Very thick and sticky.

6. Spoon out the batter to form two logs.  Each should be about 2 inches wide and almost as long as the baking sheet.  The batter will spread out so leave plenty of space between the logs and the pan edges.   Also, try to make each log high to allow for the spreading out during baking.

   

   Batter formed into two logs on a silpat lined baking sheet.
   The top and sides were smoothed with wet hands.

7. Use wet hands to smooth out the tops and sides of the logs and to help form high logs. 
8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan half way through baking.  The center of each log should be firm and not soft and mushy when done.
9. Allow the logs to cool at least 15 minutes before slicing.  Hot logs will crumble easily when cut.  Cooled logs will stay together well when sliced. 

   

   Cooled logs ready to be sliced.
   The log in the back has chocolate chips.

10. Cut each log into slices about 1 inch thick.  For cleaner cuts, I use a serrated knife to gently saw through the top crust and then firmly push the knife straight down to finish each cut (if you use a sawing motion the whole time the cookie crumbles too much). 

    

    Cooled logs being sliced.

11. Place the sliced cookies, cut side down, back onto the baking sheet.  Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.  Turn the cookies over half way through the baking time to get more even baking and browning. 

    

    GF Gingerbread Biscotti after the second baking.

12. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or a wax paper lined tin.  
13. They will keep fresh for at least two weeks, if there are any left. 

GLUTEN FREE GINGERBREAD BISCOTTI Ingredients DRY 1 cup Sorghum Flour 1 1/4 cup Tapioca Flour 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt 2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder 1 tsp. Ground Ginger 1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon 1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves 1 cup (optional) Sliced and Toasted Almonds (You can use chopped walnuts or pecans or hazelnuts also.) 1/2 cup (optional) Dried Cranberries or Currants or Raisins (To plump them up: soak the cranberries, or raisins or currants in a small bowl of hot water for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry before adding them to the other dry ingredients.) 1/2 to 1 cup (optional) Chocolate Chips (For Dairy Free or Vegan use Dairy Free or Vegan Chips) WET 2 large Eggs (For Vegan: In a small bowl add 1/2 cup water, 2 Tbs. Corn Starch, 2 tsp. oil, 1/8 tsp. xanthan gum & 1 tsp. baking powder. Whisk together well before adding to the rest of the wet ingredients.) 1/2 cup Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.) 1/3 cup Olive Oil (or melted butter or margarine) 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 tsp. Orange Zest (the zest from 1 orange) 1/4 cup Molasses (Unsulphured Blackstrap) Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silpat pad or parchment paper. Add all the flours, spices, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt to a large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Add the nuts, cranberries (or currants or raisins) & chocolate chips, if using and stir well. Set aside. Add all the wet ingredients together and mix well. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in all at once. Stir until well mixed. Spoon out the batter to form two logs. Each should be about 2 inches wide and almost as long as the baking sheet. The batter will spread out so leave plenty of space between the logs and the pan edges. Also, try to make each log high to allow for the spreading out during baking. Use wet hands to smooth out the tops and sides of the logs and to help form high logs. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning the pan half way through baking. The center of each log should be firm and not soft and mushy when done. Allow the logs to cool at least 15 minutes before slicing. Hot logs will crumble easily when cut. Cooled logs will stay together well when sliced. Cut each log into slices about 1 inch thick. For cleaner cuts, I use a serrated knife to gently saw through the top crust and then firmly push the knife straight down to finish each cut (if you use a sawing motion the whole time the cookie crumbles too much). Place the sliced cookies, cut side down, back onto the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Turn the cookies over half way through the baking time to get more even baking and browning. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container or a wax paper lined tin. They will keep fresh for at least two weeks, if there are any left.