These dipped gingerbread white chocolate biscotti are so pretty decorated with festive sprinkles. The quick and easy to make cookie dough has a light gingerbread flavour and is studded with white chocolate chunks. With the perfect crunch, they make great Christmas cookie gifts or why not just keep them for yourself and dunk in your morning coffee.
Lou’s recipe overview
SKILL: Intermediate
TASTE: Warm and spicy, with sweet white chocolate
PROS: Quick and easy cookie dough
CONS: Don’t over-bake on the first bake
Recipe fun fact… Did you know biscotti means ‘twice baked’? And that is exactly what you need to do with these white chocolate gingerbread biscotti! I love making these for homemade festive treat gifts for the grown-ups. They go perfectly with my Rice Krispie Christmas Puddings for the little-ones.
It doesn’t matter how old you are, everyone loves a gingerbread man, but think of these as the grown-up version of gingerbread men. All those festive winter spices coming together in the ultimate dunking biscuit!
These biscotti are twice-baked so they have that distinctive crust and crunch. But dip one in your coffee and it will emerge starting to soften, bringing out those flavours, melting the white chocolate, and all the time still holding their shape. There are no dunking casualties in the bottom of a coffee cup here!
Not only does this dough really hold it’s shape; I swear it has some kind of festive magic. You’ll be forgiven if you think it really doesn’t ‘look enough’ when you make it. But trust me, you’ll get enough biscotti cookies to last you until Christmas. Although that depends on how many you eat in one sitting!
So I know you’re doing to love these white chocolate gingerbread biscotti. But if you’ll looking for a little extra persuasion, let me tell you about the…
- Beautiful light gingerbread flavour that leaves you with a warm, spicy taste
- Thick coating of white chocolate that starts to melt as you dunk
- Super easy and quick recipe that kids will love helping with
- Perfect to make ahead and freeze for festive homemade gifts
- One bowl recipe meaning these less washing up – bonus!
Dunking these biscotti into my coffee is one of life’s simple pleasures!
Ingredients and substitutions
Check out my shopping list for ingredients and equipment
These biscotti are a light gingerbread flavour that comes from the spices that you use. The flavour still packs a warming punch, but if you prefer a less spicy flavour just tweak the quantities of spices added. Here’s everything you’ll need to make these…
- Light Soft Brown Sugar – I use a mix of light brown and white caster sugar; the mix perfectly gives the biscotti their colouring as well as complimenting the warm, spicy gingerbread flavour
- Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- Ground Ginger
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Ground Cloves – Not everyone is a fan of cloves so you can leave this out if you prefer
- Eggs – Make sure your eggs are at room temperature before whisking. This helps the egg protein bonds break and incorporates air into the cookie batter, keeping them nice and light
- Plain Flour or All-Purpose Flour
- Vanilla Extract
- Baking Powder
- White Chocolate – I love using Milky Bar chocolate for these and cut it up into chunks to go inside the biscotti. The rest I melt for a good thick coat of chocolate
- Festive Sprinkles (optional)
Recommended ingredients
Equipment you will need
You only need a few simple tools to make these biscotti. I prefer to use a stand mixer for these as it helps the dough come together quickly. However, there’s nothing stopping you making the dough by hand if you want to. This is what I use to make them…
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Stand Mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- Baking Sheet
- Baking Parchment
- Serrated Knife
- Digital Kitchen Scales
How to make white chocolate gingerbread biscotti
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card
You will love the absolute simplicity of making these biscotti. There are just five simple steps and they are ready in under an hour. Here’s everything you have to do…
The biscotti dough
You can make the dough either by hand or using a stand mixer. For this recipe, I’ve used a stand mixer with the paddle-attachment.
- Sieve together the plain flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Alternatively add the ingredients into a large mixing bowl
- Add light brown sugar and caster sugar to the flour and mix together until well combined
- Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl then gradually add the whisked egg to the dry ingredients. Mix well between each addition. The dough will start to come together
- Chops the white chocolate into chunks and fold through making sure you get a good distribution through the cookie dough
- Continue to mix until you dough has come together. If the dough isn’t quite coming together, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand
- Split the dough into two pieces and shape into logs. Place each dough log onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment and you’re ready to bake Pop the cookie dough in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking
TOP TIP: If your dough is very soft, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The dough will be easier to handle once chilled.
Baking the biscotti
Bake the biscotti logs for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly, so that you are able to handle them.
Slice the cooled dough into individual biscotti cookies, about 2cm thick. Each log will make between 10-12 cookies. Then place the biscotti cookies back onto the baking parchment and return to the oven to bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the cookies from the oven, and flip them over onto the over side and bake for a further 10 minutes. When baked, place the cookies on a wire rack to completely cool.
TOP TIP: To reduce the risk of crumbling, allow the biscotti to cool slightly and use a serrated knife to cut the cookies after the first bake
Decorating the biscotti
I love dipping my biscotti in chocolate, not only does it add extra chocolate, it’s the best part for dunking! If you prefer not to dip your biscotti, you can skip these steps.
- Melt the white chocolate. You can do this over a pan of simmering water as a double boiler or in 30 second blasts in the microwave
- Dip the biscotti into the white chocolate until it covers the bottom half of the cookie. Allow the excess to drip off then place on baking parchment
- Scatter some festive sprinkles over the melted chocolate then set the cookies aside for the chocolate to set before eating
Should I chill the biscotti dough before baking?
For some cookies, like my brownie cookies, I recommend chilling the dough before baking. But for these biscotti, the choice is yours.
If you find your dough is very soft or sticky, wrap it in clingfilm and chill for 30 minutes to an hour. After chilling it will be easier to shape into the logs and it will also prevent the dough from spreading a lot during the bake.
How do I cut the biscotti without them crumbling?
When you cut the biscotti after the first bake, remember the dough is not completed baked so its still quite soft. It is tempting to cut the dough as soon as you take it out of the oven, but if it is too warm it will fall apart and crumble.
Therefore, allow the dough to cool slightly for a few minutes. The best way to tell if the dough is ready, is when you can handle it without burning your fingers.
Also when cutting the biscotti use a serrated knife and gently cut through the baked dough. Try to avoid sawing the dough as that will put stress on the structure causing it crumble.
FAQs about white chocolate gingerbread biscotti
This recipe will make between 20-24 biscotti, but it will depend on how thick you cut the cookies. Ideally you want to cut the biscotti so they are about 2cm thickness – I find these are best for dunking.
The biscotti should be stored at room temperature, in an air-tight container. Biscotti will go soggy if exposed to moisture and stale quicker than other types of cookies, so it’s important to make sure you stock them correctly.
Biscotti will last quite a long time if they are stored correctly, between week and a month. Obviously, they are best when they are fresh, but they will keep for longer.
Yes you can! You can freeze the either the biscotti dough before baking, or the biscotti after baking. If freezing the biscotti dough, shape it into logs before doing so and wrap well in baking parchment, then clingfilm to prevent freezer burn. The dough will keep up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost thoroughly before using. When freezing the biscotti cookies, firstly make sure they are fully cooled. Wrap the cookies in baking parchment and clingfilm and place in the freezer. You can also store them in an air-tight container if you have freezer space. They will keep for up to 3 months.
More festive cookie recipes to try
If you liked this white chocolate gingerbread biscotti recipe here are some other recipes that I think you’d enjoy…
White Chocolate Gingerbread Biscotti
Ingredients
To make the biscotti
- 250 g Plain flour or All Purpose Flour
- ½ tsp Baking Powder
- 125 g Caster Sugar or Superfine Sugar
- 125 g Light Soft Brown Sugar
- 1 tbsp Ground Ginger
- 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
- 3 Eggs Medium
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 50 g White Chocolate Chopped
To decorate
- 150 g White Chocolate Melted
- Red, Green and White Sprinkles Optional
Instructions
Making the biscotti dough
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment.
- Sieve together the plain flour, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together. Alternatively add the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix with a rubber spatula250 g Plain flour, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 1 tbsp Ground Ginger, 1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg, 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves, 2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- Add the caster sugar and light soft brown sugar to the flour mixture. Gently mix everything together until well combined.125 g Caster Sugar, 125 g Light Soft Brown Sugar
- In a small bowl, gently whisk the eggs with a fork. Then gradually add the whisked eggs and the vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Mix well between each addition. The biscotti dough will start to come together.3 Eggs, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Chop up the white chocolate and add to the biscotti dough and fold through, making sure you get a good distribution50 g White Chocolate
- Continue to knead the mixture with the stand mixer until it comes together and is smooth. If the dough isn't quite coming together, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand. Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand.
- Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and split the dough into two evenly sized pieces and shape into logs. Place each dough log onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
Baking the biscotti
- Bake for 25 minutes. Remove the logs from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. You should be able to handle them easily without burning your fingers.
- Using a large serrated knife, gently cut the logs into 2cm thick slices. Place the biscotti slices back on the baking trays, cut side down
- Return the biscotti to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes.
- Remove the biscotti from the oven and turn them over to bake on the other side. Return them to the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes, until golden brown.
- Place the biscotti on a wire rack to fully cool.
Decorating the biscotti
- Add the white chocolate to a small heatproof bowl and gently melt in a microwave in 30-second blasts or place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and gradually melt it, stirring until smooth.150 g White Chocolate
- Dip one end of the biscotti into the melted white chocolate until it covers the bottom half of the cookie. Allow the excess to drip off then place on baking parchment.
- While the chocolate is still wet, scatter with festive sprinkles then leave to fully set.Red, Green and White Sprinkles
Notes
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Hello there
Just wondering the amount of flour is not nearly enough and also there was no oil or butter in this recipe
Hi Louisa
Thank you for your comment about the recipe. Biscotti does not contain butter or oil, that is why you are not seeing them on the ingredients list. Also the amount of flour is correct, this is the amount that I always use for this recipe. You will find a lot of biscotti recipes use a similar amount too. I have tried and tested this recipe over the years and have not had any issue with it. Of course if you want to make a larger batch, you can scale up the ingredients.
I hope that helps and if you have any other questions, please drop me a line.
Thanks
Lou
These went down so well with family and friends as Christmas gifts – I’m definitely making them again!
So pretty and such an irresistible combination of flavours and textures.
Thanks for joining in with #recipeoftheweek – I’ve pinned and tweeted this recipe 🙂 There’s a fresh linky live at the moment, so do please pop over if you haven’t already!
Thanks Emily 🙂 Will pop over and add a recipe this week!
Happy new year, I hope you’re feeling much better now. The biscotti look really lovely, I could eat one now with a cuppa.
I’m feeling a lot better now, thank you! The biscotti definitely go well with a nice cuppa 🙂
How super pretty are your photo’s 🙂 All these biscotti need now is a mug of hot chocolate. They look delicious. Thank you for sharing, I am popping by from #recipeoftheweek
Thank you. Definitely best accompanied by a big mug of hot chocolate 🙂
This biscotti look great! I wish I had a warm cup of cocoa and one of these babies right now! Pinning this one for sure! Yummy! 🙂
Thanks Christina! I only managed to try one or two, but everyone who had them for gifts said they really enjoyed them. I’m going to try out a couple of different recipe variations at some point soon.
Oh poor you, hope you are feeling better Louise. Funnily enough if my chest is bad I breathe better in snowy air. The crisp pure air suits me better.
I’m nearly there, not quite 100% yet but close 🙂 On the beautiful sunny days with the crisp air, my chest was great. It was the bitterly cold and windy days that really hurt though. The coldness just attacked my little lungs and I fought for my breathe as well as it burning went I breathed. It’s been along time since I’ve been like that, a little scary. But we still had a great time! x