Crunchy and lightly sweet, these gluten free candy cane biscotti are your classic twice-baked cookie, but all dressed up for the holiday season. And theyre naturally dairy-free!
How to bake with crushed candy canes
Because candy canes are mostly sugar, they act like a liquid in baking as they melt. That just means that we have to be more creative than simply replacing the almonds in our vanilla almond biscotti and otherwise following that recipe as is.
The first thing youll notice about baking with these candy cane pieces is that they turn your biscotti dough, well, pink. The final cookies arent quite pink, but are clearly festive!
The candy cane pieces will melt during baking, and then of course will become firm again once they cool. Although biscotti are meant to be crunchy, its best to work with a wetter dough that makes biscotti that are slightly more tender inside lest they become rock-hard and unpleasant as they cool.
To crush the candy canes or peppermint Starlight mints, place them in a heavy duty zip-top bag, enclose the bag in a cotton tea towel, and crush them using a meat tenderizer or mallet.Candy canes are more difficult to crush than the Jolly Rancher candies in our stained glass sugar cookies, but take care as you crushthem because youwant distinct pieces of candy, and notcandy cane dust.
My favorite candy canes are made by Spangler, since all of their candy canes (and even most of their products) are Top 8 Allergen free and are always great quality. Spangler also makes the fun flavored candy canes (like Sour Patch Kids and Jelly Belly flavored candy canes). If you can find gluten free starlight mints (the round white candies with the red starbursts), they taste great and are easier to crush than candy canes.
How to make these candy cane gluten free biscotti cookies
Once youve crushed the candy for these cookies, the dough comes together very quickly. First, whisk the flour, starch, baking powder, salt, granulated sugar, and the candy pieces, and then add the eggs and flavoring extracts.
The dough will be very sticky. The best way to combine cookie dough in a bowl is to press down the mixture with the back of the spoon periodically as you mix. That will help moisten the dry ingredients and get the to incorporate into the wet.
I like to divide the dough into two portions so that it bakes all the way through without browning too much in the first bake. Shape each into a rectangle about 3 1/2-inches long x 3-inches wide x 1-inch thick, and space the portions about 4-inches apart from one another as they will spread during baking.
Bake the loaves at 350F for about 25 minutes or until they spring back when pressed gently in the center. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing by cross-section on the bias. I even like to chill the cooled loaves in the freezer for 10 minutes to make them easier to slice cleanly.
Line the slices up, one flat side down, on the baking sheet and bake at 300F for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, carefully flip the cookies over (they will be a bit tender so work gently with a light touch), and bake to brown the other side, about another 10 minutes.
If you want to ensure that your biscotti isnt too crunchy, bake for less than 10 minutes. When the cookies from come out of the oven, they will still be tender, but they will crisp as they cool.
Ingredients and substitutions
Eggs: The 2 eggs in this recipe are responsible for nearly all of the moisture, and theyre the most important binder. Although there are only 2 eggs, which is usually the most eggs for which I feel comfortable suggesting an egg replacement, I dont think this recipe is a good candidate for making egg-free.
Flavoring oils and extracts: The candy canes in this recipe provide plenty of mint flavor, but its mixed in with their sweetness so I do like to add peppermint extract (I like McCormick brand, but there are other good ones). Peppermint extract does tend to be quite strong, though, so resist the urge to add more. I find that a combination of 1 teaspoon peppermint and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract is just right.
Cornstarch: In place of cornstarch, I like tapioca starch/flour in this recipe, but I imagine potato starch or arrowroot would work just fine, too.
White chocolate: White chocolate is not naturally dairy-free in most forms, if thats important to you. I do have a recipe for vegan white chocolate that most certainly is dairy free, and is better than any store-bought white chocolate Ive ever had.
You can, of course, leave the biscotti plain, or use a simple water-and-confectioners sugar icing like we used in our recipe for iced oatmeal cookies. The flavor of a little white chocolate drizzle is really the perfect pairing for these biscotti, but a simple glaze is more stable once cool. White chocolate will remain somewhat soft, so keep that in mind if youre traveling with these biscotti.
Candy canes: Please see the full discussion above, but the short story is that Spangler brand candy canes are top 8 allergen free, made in a dedicated facility, and always taste great.
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