By Maureen Callahan

Gingerbread Biscotti
Holiday gingerbread is chock-full of sugary molasses, brown sugar, and butter. To help trim fat, sugar, and calories, we put all the same spices and flavors into the crunchy Italian cookies called biscotti.

A dab of chocolate gives these cookies a festive holiday touch without adding too much fat or too many more calories. Besides, we like the studies suggesting that chocolate, especially the delicious dark kind, is rich in powerful antioxidants.

2 1¼4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1¼2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ginger
1¼2 teaspoon cinnamon
1¼4 teaspoon nutmeg
1¼4 teaspoon salt
2¼3 cup sucanat or organic sugar
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼4 cup crystallized ginger
3¼4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine the first 7 ingredients (flour through salt) in a bowl, whisking until well blended.

Place sugar and eggs in a large bowl; whisk until well blended. Stir in molasses and vanilla.

Fold the flour mixture and crystallized ginger into the egg mixture until just combined. Dough will be sticky; do not add more flour.

Place 4 to 5 heaping spoonfuls of dough lengthwise onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and form into a log shape about 12 inches long and 3 inches across. Smooth dough to an even thickness with the back of the spoon.

Repeat procedure with remaining dough, placing it on the other side of the same baking sheet, keeping loaves about 3 inches apart.

Bake at 350° until lightly browned, about 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 325° and remove loaves from baking sheet to a wire rack; cool 10 minutes. Place loaves on a cutting board and cut on the diagonal into 1¼2-inch-thick slices using a serrated knife.

Lay slices flat on baking sheet and return to oven to bake for 20 minutes, turning them once halfway through baking time. Cool on wire racks.

Place chocolate in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for 45 to 60 seconds or until chocolate is melted. Working quickly, dip one side or end of each cookie in chocolate; periodically reheat chocolate if it becomes too firm to dip.

Place dipped biscotti in freezer for 3 to 4 minutes to firm up chocolate. Remove from freezer and store in an airtight container until ready to eat; biscotti will stay fresh for 4 weeks.
Yield: 3 dozen biscotti.