2-1/2 cups flour; unbleached, all purpose
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves, ground
2 tablespoons cocoa; unsweetened, pref. Dutch
2 tablespoons ginger, fresh; peeled, grated
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3 eggs, large
1-1/4 cups almonds, whole; blanched toasted lightly
Yield: 36 servings
Loosely inspired by the fresh ginger ice cream and chocolate sauce served by Barbara Tropp at her restaurant China Moon.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the flour, the sugar, the baking soda, the salt, the cinnamon, the cloves and the cocoa powder until the mixture is combined well. In a small bowl, whisk together the gingerroot, the almond extract and the eggs, add the mixture to the flour mixture, beating until a dough is formed, and stir in the almonds. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, knead it several times and divide it into thirds. Working on a large buttered and floured baking sheet, with floured hands, form each piece of dough into a flattish log 10 inches long by 2-1/2 inches wide and arrange the logs at least 3 inches apart on the sheet. Bake the logs in the middle of a preheated 350F oven for 25 minutes and let them cool on the baking sheet on the rack for 10 minutes. On a cutting board cut the logs crosswise on the diagonal into 3/4 inch slices, arrange the biscotti, cut sides down, on the baking sheet, and bake them in the 350F oven for 5 minutes on each side. Transfer the biscotti to racks to cool and store them in airtight containers.
Makes 36 biscotti