Homemade holiday gift idea: Chewy-ginger sour-cherry biscotti

Minced crystallized ginger and dried sour cherries add a little perk and bright color to biscotti, fragrant with spice and rich molasses notes. Eat them yourself, or wrap them up, making for a festive holiday gift.

RECIPES: 25 homemade holiday gift ideas!

Wrapped homemade biscotti is just one way to get crafty this holiday season with homemade gifts from the kitchen. We’ve compiled 25 great ideas, ranging from quick and simple gifts (perfect if you’re working with kids) to more intricate projects that call for a little extra time and patience.

Some gifts will last for weeks, perhaps more. Others are best eaten within a day or two.

Not only are homemade gifts a great way to save money during the holiday season, they’re a thoughtful and creative way to show how much you care.

For additional homemade holiday ideas, check out our updated “Los Angeles Times Holiday Cookies” e-book. The cookbook now includes 65 recipes from a wide range of sources, including world-famous pastry chefs, favorite bakeries and home cooks. And check out the favorite holiday recipes we’ve collected in our “Los Angeles Times Holiday Handbook.” The book shares more than 110 seasonal recipes to help you celebrate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas and New Year’s.

Each book is $4.99. They are available at the Los Angeles Times bookstore for Kindle, Nook and iBooks.

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You can find Noelle Carter on Facebook, Google+, Twitter and Pinterest. Email Noelle at noelle.carter@latimes.com.

Chewy-Ginger Sour-Cherry Biscotti

Active Work Time: 25 minutes Total Preparation Time: 55 minutes

From Michaela Rosenthal, Woodland Hills

1/3 cup oil

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup sugar, plus more for rolling

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped macadamia nuts or peeled hazelnuts

1 cup dried sour cherries

1/2 cup minced crystallized ginger

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Beat together the oil, molasses, sugar and egg.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ground ginger, cloves, cinnamon and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Stir in the nuts, cherries and crystallized ginger.

Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Press down on the dough to flatten slightly. Roll the logs in a little sugar. Place them on a nonstick baking sheet and bake in the upper third of the oven, 15 minutes.

Cool the logs 5 minutes, then cut them on the diagonal into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Lay the biscotti on two baking sheets and bake until they are still somewhat soft to the touch but dry, another 15 minutes.

Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. 24 biscotti. Each biscotti: 159 calories; 104 mg sodium; 9 mg cholesterol; 6 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 28 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 0.96 gram fiber.