Ginger, Vanilla and Pine Nut Biscotti

Now that we've satisfied all those Thanksgiving cravings of stuffing and pumpkin and such, our yearnings are now focusing on Holiday Cookies. While DM always supplies a few sweet bites at the end of our catered meals, and even our cocktail parties from time to time; it's also a tradition to toss some specific holiday sweets into the mix during December. Hand Decorated Sugar Cookies, Miniature Gingerbread Men, Chocolate Peppermint Stick Marshmallows, and those Pecan Snowballs covered with powdered sugar. We also always include some biscotti. Especially after dinner, this not-too-sweet cookie is a perfect garnish to a meal. Try one dipped into the last bit of wine in your glass.


Ginger, Vanilla and Pine Nut Biscotti
1 3/4 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, very cold and diced 1/4" pieces
3/4 cup pine nuts
1 cup Crystalized Ginger, roughly chopped
2 large eggs
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1/3 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped

Preheat oven to 350*
Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and ground ginger. Put flour mixture into the bowl of a food processor and add cold butter. Pulse until mixture resembles a coarse meal. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add pine nuts and crystalized ginger.
Return work bowl to the processor and add eggs, sugar and vanilla bean. Process briefly until very well mixed. Add egg mixture to the flour mixture and work it together by hand until a dough forms. Divide in half and roll into logs
Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. Form each log of dough into a rectangle on the parchment approximately 13" X 2 1/2" x 3/4".
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 250*. Remove baking sheet from the oven and cool for five minutes. Slice the biscotti crosswise about 1/4" thick. Rearrange biscotti, laying flat, on the baking sheet. Return to oven and bake until cookies are dry, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely. Store in an air tight container.
Makes at least 5 dozen.