Gumdrop Biscotti

Gumdrop Biscotti just might be the Christmas confection you didn’t know you needed! These buttery biscotti are packed with everyone’s favourite baking gums and topped with sweet, glistening coarse sugar. Adorably festive, these make a great gift idea!

Even though gumdrops were always present in my mom’s kitchen, I never grew up eating Gumpdrop Biscotti. No, those gumdrops were saved for mom’s Gumdrop Cake which she would make quite often – not just at Christmastime, which is when you normally see them.

Gumdrops are quite common in Newfoundland, although I must say, unless you go to a baking supply store, they’re really not that common elsewhere. I tend to buy gumdrops in bulk rather than in a factory-sealed plastic bag like my mom used to get them.

And even though most people argue that they all taste the same, I always reach for the red or green ones first. Do they taste the same? Is it just my mind playing tricks on me; like, you know how we all think green tastes like lime? If you know for sure, please share it with me!

WHAT ARE GUMDROPS?

Are you familiar with gumdrops, Dear Reader? Okay, so there are two kinds of gumdrops. There are gumdrops that are sugar coated candy that you can buy from the candy store. They are soft like a jelly candy and are not meant for baking.   Contrary to popular belief, gumdrops are not the same as jube jubes or wine gums.  Gumdrops are a type of baking candy.  They are brightly colored pectin-based pieces, shaped like a narrow dome with a flattened top.  They come in fruit flavors. I usually find them a Fortinos.

Then, there are gumdrops that are specifically meant for baking even though they can be eaten as a candy too. These types of gumdrops are sometimes referred to as baking gums. They are harder than the candy type gumdrops, much like a jube jube. Don’t think you can substitute a jube jube for a baking gum though! They are not the same and will melt like butter when they come in contact with the heat from your oven. These are the type of gumdrops/baking gums you need for baking.

Gumdrops are used in baking, candy crafting, decorating, and for eating out of hand to mouth. They are often used for decorating cakes and cupcakes. Around Christmastime, this candy is an ingredient commonly used in the making and decorating of gingerbread houses.  

SUBSCRIBE NOW AND NEVER MISS ANOTHER RECIPE!

So, welcome, Dear Reader, to the start of my annual holiday-themed recipes. Traditionally, every year I share a series of recipes that you might already be familiar with. For example, I’ve previously shared 12 Holiday Trifles, 12 Holiday Bars & Squares, and even these 12 Edible Holiday Wreath recipes! Also, some of my favourite recipe collections from previous years are my 75 Homemade Gifts from Your Kitchen, my 50 Make Ahead Freezer Friendly Christmas Recipes, and my 30 No-Bake Christmas Recipes post.

This year I’m doing it differently. Rather than sharing multiple back to back series, I’m sharing a new holiday-themed recipe almost every day from now until Christmas Eve. For those of you who have followed my annual Lord Byron’s 24 Cookies of Christmas series, don’t worry, you will still get lots of new cookie recipes this year too. I will not, however, be publishing the cookies back to back in a 24-day series. This would have been my 8th year running the series and it becomes very exhausting, so this year, I’m spreading the recipes out so that I’m not sharing the same type of recipe every day.

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! And, just in case you’re curious, you can see previous annual posts for my 24 Cookies of Christmas Series here!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Butter 
• Sugar
• Salt
• Vanilla Extract
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature!
• Gumdrops – It’s important to use baking gumdrops, not gumdrop candy. Yes, there are two types! See the section above on gumdrops for more clarification.
• Sanding Sugar – Coarse sugar, sometimes referred to as sanding sugar, is used sometimes for decorative purposes.  It is sometimes called pearl sugar or coarse baking sugar.

HOW TO MAKE GUMDROP BISCOTTI

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and baking powder until well combined and creamy. Next, add the eggs and beat them into the batter until well mixed. Now, add the flour and beat in until just combined. Stir in the gumdrops. The dough will be sticky. Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and form it into a log. (Dust your hands with flour; dough is a bit sticky!) Form a log shape that is roughly 4″ wide and 12″ long. Sprinkle the top of the log with the coarse sanding sugar. Press very gently on the sugar to make sure it sticks to the dough.

Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the biscotti from the oven and place the baking sheet on a wire cooling rack so that air can circulate around the baking sheet. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Using the parchment paper, slide the log onto a large cutting board. Slice into 3/4″ slices across the width of the log. Place slices back onto a baking sheet which has been lined with more parchment paper. Slices are cut side down. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Carefully turn the cookies over and bake for another 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to wire cooling rack to finish cooling completely. Package biscotti for gift-giving or pile into a food-safe container. Leave at room temperature, or freeze until needed for up to 3 months.

SANDING VS GRANULATED SUGAR

I use coarse sanding sugar quite often when baking for the holidays. I hope it hasn’t been too difficult for you to find. Sanding sugar is sometimes referred to as baking sugar, and there are some substitutes. You can use other sugars – which are basically the same, but named something differently – there’s pearl sugar and coarse sugar. You cannot, however, use granulated sugar. Let me explain why.

Whereas an individual granule of sanding sugar is large and hard, a single granule of granulated sugar is quite small. Sanding sugar will hold up to the heat in your oven without melting; granulated sugar will not. If you can only find granulated sugar, you can either skip the coating in the sugar step, or you can use turbinado sugar. Turbinado sugar is a golden brown though, so it will throw off the colour of your finished biscotti. Alternatively, you can dust the top of your biscotti with confectioner’s sugar once they are fully cooled.

STORING AND FREEZING

These biscotti will last in the freezer for three months. Be sure you have a good container with a tight seal. Whenever I’m freezing biscotti, I always double up on the seal action. Before I place the lid on, I always drape a sheet of plastic wrap on top. Then I push the lid on. I just feel that the lid fits more tightly. Any little thing I can do to keep the frost out, I’m going to do it! I like to use tins like this.

Like I always say, if you freeze any baked goods, remove only the amount you want when you decide to thaw them. Fetch the container from the freezer and remove only what you need. Put the lid back on and get the container back in the fridge.

To properly thaw baked goods, place them on a plate or a wire cooling rack. Don’t pile them. Spread them out and give them some space. Let them sit at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. They will taste fresh and perfect every single time!

QUESTIONS?

If I have not answered all of your questions in the text above, don’t hesitate to reach out to me! You can contact me by sending me a message in the comments section further down the page. I will try my best to answer as soon as possible! You might reach me even faster by following me on Facebook and sending me a private message. Scroll down below the recipe card to find my Follow Me on Social Media box and never miss another recipe!