Ginger Almond Biscotti

Ginger almond biscotti cookie recipe with ginger and toasted almonds, as well as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and all spice. Perfect for dipping in coffee.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.
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Updated February 17, 2021
Elise Bauer
Ginger Almond Biscotti
Elise Bauer

These ginger almond biscotti are almost like gingersnaps in their crispiness and flavor! Fresh grated ginger goes into the batter, as well as toasted almonds and the usual suspects of fall spices—cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.

There are two camps of people when it comes to biscotti—those that like their biscotti super crispy and crunchy so the cookies hold up and are still crisp when dunked into coffee, and those that would prefer not to break their teeth biting into one and want their cookie to be a little more forgiving.

Ginger Almond Biscotti
Elise Bauer

Which camp do you fall in? Super crunchy coffee dipper? Or cakey enough to safely eat on their own?

I'm sort of in-between. A biscotti should be crunchy, right? But it shouldn't be so hard that it hurts.

Crispy or Soft?

The good news is that you as a baker can have a say in how you would like your biscotti to be. Biscotti are twice baked cookies. The cookie dough is first baked shaped as a flattened log. Then you cut it with a serrated knife into smaller individual cookies and bake those a second time.

If you want softer cookies, just don't bake them as long the second bake. If you want crisper cookies, bake them the second bake until they are well browned and crispy.

Biscotti can either have butter or oil in the dough or not. Leaving out the fat will make for a much crispier cookie, but unless you are dunking them into liquid (coffee, tea, milk, wine), they might be a little hard and dry to eat.

These biscotti include a full stick of butter, contributing to both the flavor and the texture.

The Best Way to Store Biscotti

  • Let the cookies cool down completely before storing them, and then put them in a sealed bag or cookie tin. If they are still warm when you seal them, they'll soften up and loose their crispness. If this happens, just reheat them in a 300°F oven for 5 minutes.
  • To freeze biscotti, let the cool down all the way, and place them in an air-tight freezer bag. Freeze for up to 30 days. To use, defrost and then crisp up in a 300°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

More Cookies to Serve With Coffee!

Many thanks to my friends Nicky and Elise Targ for sharing this recipe with me decades ago! It was one of their favorites and is now one of mine.

Ginger Almond Biscotti

Prep Time 30 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Chilling the dough 60 mins
Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Servings 36 biscotti

Ingredients

  • 1 cup blanched slivered almonds
  • 3/4 cup (170 g) sugar
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup molasses (NOT blackstrap molasses, it's too bitter)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh ginger
  • 3 cups (400 g) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves and allspice

Method

  1. Bake the almonds:

    Spread the almonds out on a sheet pan and bake them at 350°F for 10 minutes. Let cool, then roughly chop.

    Elise Bauer
  2. Make the biscotti dough base:

    Beat together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the molasses and beat a minute more.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Mix in the minced ginger.

  3. Mix in the dry ingredients and the almonds:

    Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and allspice.

    Elise Bauer

    Add the flour mixture into the butter and eggs mixture, one third at a time. Stir in the almonds.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer
  4. Refrigerate the dough for 1 hour
  5. Shape into long rectangles:

    Turn the dough out onto a well-floured board, and divide in half. With floured hands, shape into long rectangles about 10-12 inches long, 2 1/2 inches wide and 1/2 inch high. Transfer to a parchment or silicone lined baking sheet.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer
  6. Bake:

    Bake at 350°F until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and let stand until cool enough to handle.

  7. Cut diagonally:

    Transfer the rectangles to a cutting board. Using a serrated bread knife, cut the rectangles on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

    Elise Bauer
  8. Bake again:

    Return pieces cut side down to baking sheet. Re-bake 15-18 minutes, turning the biscotti over half way through baking.

    Elise Bauer
    Elise Bauer

    Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight container.

    Dip in wine after dinner (classic Italian fashion) or coffee, tea, or hot cocoa.