Your holidays need to include gingerbread white chocolate biscotti!

My first encounter with gingerbread biscotti was many years ago — it was the Christmas season and I was at Starbucks.

The Starbucks biscotti had a delicious icing on them.  I wasn’t sure how the icing was made.

I just knew it was  . . . perfect!

And, honestly, I didn’t spend too much time thinking about how the biscotti were made.

They were delicious dunked into my cafe Americano.

That’s all that mattered.

One was never enough.  Two seemed excessive.

In the years since moving overseas, I’ve spent a good amount of time thinking about those glorious cookies.

I’ve missed you, gingerbread biscotti.  I’ve missed you a lot.

I tried a few times to make my own, and they were good, but not “Starbucks good.” Something was missing. Something having to do with the icing.

Then, finally!

While I was munching on one of my Macadamia Nut White Chocolate cookies, it occurred to me that white chocolate could possibly solve all my problems!

Bingo!

Adding white chocolate chips to the dough and drizzling the biscotti with melted white chocolate made all the difference.

I still don’t know how Starbucks makes their gingerbread biscotti.

All I know is that I ended up with biscotti just as delicious as (if not more than) the Starbucks biscotti.

Feeling a little sassy, I went ahead and tossed in a few hazelnuts.

Melting white chocolate is a bit different from melting other types of chocolate because white chocolate has a lower burning point.

The first time I attempted to melt white chocolate, it seized and was unusable.

The next time, I followed this helpful tutorial at Craftsy.

I set up a double boiler, made sure not to allow the chocolate to get too hot, and added the chips a little at a time, letting them start to melt a bit before adding more.  Win!

Enjoy! – The Recipe Wench

Gingerbread White Chocolate Biscotti

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Serves	36
Prep time	20 minutes
Cook time	40 minutes
Total time	1 hour
Meal type	Dessert

Gingerbread white chocolate biscotti are easy, tasty and SO festive! They'd make a perfect hostess gift! Dunk them in milk, coffee or even your favorite dessert wine!

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 Cups flour
• 2 Teaspoons baking powder
• 2 Teaspoons cinnamon
• 2 Teaspoons ground ginger
• Pinch cloves
• 1/4 Teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 Teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 Cup dark brown sugar
• 1/2 Cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon dark molasses
• 1/2 Cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 2 Teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 Cup hazelnuts, coarsely chopped (You can substitute walnuts or pecans, if you like!)
• 1 Cup white chocolate chips, divided
• 1 egg white
• Sprinkles and/or colored sugar (as desired for decorating)

Note

Gingerbread white chocolate biscotti are easy to make, super tasty and beautiful!

Melting white chocolate can be tricky.  In addition to the guidance I've provided in the recipe, I found this tutorial from Craftsy to be extremely helpful.

Enjoy! - The Recipe Wench

Directions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper. In medium mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, pepper, salt In a large bowl, mix together sugars, molasses, butter, 2 whole eggs and vanilla. Combine flour mixture with sugar mixture Stir in coarsely chopped nuts and 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips Your dough will be very sticky Using wet hands (or hands sprayed with non-stick spray), divide dough in half and transfer one of the halves to the parchment-lined baking sheet Shape into an 11 inch long (approx. 2 inch wide) loaf and then do the same with the second half of the dough. Both loaves can cook side-by-side on one large cookie sheet. Or you can use two smaller cookie sheets. Whisk the egg white in a small bowl until foamy and loose Brush egg white over the top and sides of each loaf

Step 2

Bake loaves about 25 minutes, or until golden brown all over Allow to cool until lukewarm (about 25 minutes) Gently transfer each loaf to a cutting board Using a sharp knife cut loaves diagonally into 1/2-inch wide slices (you might find it easier to use a sharp serrated knife) Place slices, cut side down, on a baking sheet and bake for another 12 minutes, flipping biscotti over to other side after 6 minutes Cool completely

Step 3

To melt white chocolate, create a "double boiler": fill a small to medium saucepan with about 1 inch of water and then place a bowl securely over the saucepan so that it fits snugly but doesn't touch the water. It is important to keep the inside of the bowl dry and to not allow any additional liquid to touch the melting white chocolate, as that may cause the chocolate to seize. (Also be cautious of the moisture from any escaping steam.) Bring the water to a simmer. Add 1/4 cup white chocolate chips and stir with a clean, dry spoon as the chocolate melts over indirect heat. Add additional chips and continue stirring. When chocolate is almost completely melted, remove from heat. Using a dry fork or spoon, drizzle melted chocolate over cooled biscotti and then decorate with sprinkles and/or colored sugar, if desired.

Step 4

Sometimes I spoon melted chocolate into a plastic sandwich bag, snip off a small corner and squeeze the chocolate out (like a pastry bag).

Step 5

Store biscotti at room temperature in an airtight container