chocolate & ginger

as you've probably figured out by now, we love ginger - in our cocktails, in our scones, in our parfaits, and on and on. candied ginger is a wonderful sweet & spicy addition to almost any baked good. recently, we were looking for a healthier option for late night chocolate cravings (or mid afternoon or first thing in the morning!) and stumbled upon this simple recipe from whole living magazine, formerly body & soul. it's a perfect combination of chocolate, spicy ginger and crunchy biscotti to satisfy any craving and great to keep in the cupboard in case of emergency!

on a new york side note, we're excited to check out the New Amsterdam Market this weekend and can't seem to resist the coconut cookies from here every time we walk by!

Double Chocolate & Ginger Biscotti

(adapted from Whole Living)

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg, plus 1 yolk

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

3 oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper. in a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. in the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg, yolk and sugar until fluffy. beat in vanilla and oil until combined. with the mixer on low, beat in dry ingredients until combined. fold in walnuts, chocolate and ginger with a spatula. with moistened hands, shape the dough into 2 logs, each about 9x2 1/2-inches. bake until set on top, about 20 minutes. cool 10 minutes and reduce oven to 325 degrees F. transfer logs to a cutting board and slice into 1/2-inch thick slices. bake 10 minutes per side until, crisp and cool completely on a wire rack. store in an airtight container for up to a week. enjoy!

biscotti di noce

biscotti is one of the first things i remember learning how to bake. i grew up watching all the great PBS cooking shows with my mom on Sunday mornings with chefs like Martin Yan, Jeff Smith and Mary Ann Esposito. i have made this biscotti recipe from Mary Ann's Ciao Italia for years and years and years. i eventually changed things around to add chocolate, candied ginger, dried cranberries and loads of other additions but in the end this recipe is my go to for a simple breakfast or after dinner biscotti. it is the perfect addition to a great cup of coffee on a cold morning, afternoon or evening!

Orange Almond Biscotti

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

2 1/2 tbs unsalted butter, melted

1 orange, zested

1 tbs vanilla

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/3 cup sliced almonds

1/3 cup dried cranberries

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. beat eggs and sugar in a medium bowl until thick and pale yellow. beat in butter, orange zest and vanilla. sift flour and baking soda into egg mixture and stir well. add almonds and cranberries and stir until combined but still sticky.

spread dough on greased sheet pan to a flat loaf about 13.5x7.5-inches and bake for 20-23 minutes until firm to the touch. remove, cool and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. return to the oven for 6-8 minutes per side.