These biscotti can be baked in different size pans — even free form on a baking
sheet — depending on what shape you’d like them to be. We used an 11- by
4-inch pan for a square shape. A 9- by 5- by 3-inch pan yields a long, narrow
rectangle. The cooking time will not be affected by the pan you use.

3/4 cup whole almonds with skins
1/2 cup crystallized ginger
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Special equipment: an 11- by 4-inch loaf pan (see note, above)

Preheat oven to 300°F. Butter loaf pan and line bottom with wax paper.

In a shallow baking pan toast almonds in middle of oven until a shade darker,
about 10 minutes. Cool nuts and very coarsely chop. Finely chop crystallized
ginger. Into a bowl sift together flour, sugar, ground ginger, salt, and baking
soda. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together whole egg, egg
white, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and beat until combined well. Stir in
almonds and crystallized ginger.

Press dough into loaf pan and bake in middle of oven until pale golden, about
45 minutes. Turn loaf out onto a rack and cool 10 minutes. On a cutting board
with a serrated knife cut loaf crosswise into 1/8-inch-thick slices. Arrange
biscotti on a baking sheet and bake in middle of oven until crisp, about 15
minutes. Cool biscotti on rack. Biscotti keep in an airtight container at cool room temperature 2 weeks.

Makes about 30 biscotti.