Ginger Almond Raisin Biscotti - Vegan, Too!

The locals here told me this would happen. One day it is a brilliant and hot summer day, and the next day it's instantly fall. It's true. It's been chilly and foggy lately, with a few beautiful sun breaks. It's new and exciting to be on the east coast during this seasonal transition. I love this time of year no matter where I'm at, and always get re-inspired to spend more time in my kitchen.

Lately, I've been experimenting with biscotti. I love dunking something sweet in my morning joe, and because donut holes and apple fritters are still out of the question, I have had to get creative. Toast just gets soggy--not that it stops me.

I came up with this recipe with fall in mind. This time of year I revisit spices that have been pushed to the back of my cupboard: cinnamon, cloves, ginger, etc. I added all three of these to this recipe, as well as molasses and applesauce for sweeteners. I've been experimenting with different flours, too. Feel free to do the same. Let me know how yours turns out, especially if you tweak the ingredients.

The key to making biscotti is cooking time and temperature. Think low temperature, long bake time.


Ginger Almond Raisin Biscotti

One and 1/4 C. brown rice flour
One and 1/4 C. white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 C. sliced almonds
1/2 C. raisins
1/4 C. molasses
1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce
1/4 C. oil
2 tablespoons water

Mix dry ingredients together and then add wet. Mix well. Dough will be thick and heavy. Form into giant patties and press flat.



Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then, remove from oven and turn oven down to 300 degrees F. Slice patties into strips, spread apart on baking sheet and return to oven. Bake for 15-20 on each side. This is the only way to ensure nice, hard biscotti cookies.



Once mine were done baking, I left them in the oven overnight to dry out. If you put them in a sealed container, especially if they are still warm, they will retain moisture. Dry them out for best results. Also, for a sweeter cookie, add more raisins and/or honey to the dough. I prefer mine semi-sweet, as this recipe reflects.

Dunk in a hot cup of coffee and enjoy!