• 2 ¼ cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks

Place baking rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Whisk together the dry ingredients.

Whisk sugar and eggs until they are light yellow in appearance with a ribbon like texture. Stir in vanilla.

Fold in dry ingredients. Halve dough and shape each into a 13" x 2" loaf. Bake about 35 minutes — until just beginning to crack on top.

Cool 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Cut on diagonal to 3/8" thick slices. Bake, turning once, about 15 minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

**Optional: Add macerated dried fruit, drained of its liquid, to the recipe before the dry ingredients are added, if desired. Use approximately ¾ cup.