Peppermint Candy and Chocolate Chip Biscotti
I recently decided that you all deserved to know more about biscotti. Because if there ever was a versatile cookie (Italian biscuit), the lovely biscotti is it. Perfect with coffee in the morning or dunked in wine after dinner. Not too sweet, but packed with flavor. Almost perfect in every way. (They would be perfect, but for whatever reason, they seem to disappear from our biscotti jar. I’ve asked Mr. C. about this phenomenon, but he too remains as puzzled as I am! Sure he is!)
And since I have several favorites, but remain totally unable to determine which I prefer, I’ve decided to leave that onerous task of making a decision to you. Thus 6 biscotti recipes from which to choose. “Gee baby, ain’t I good to you!”
The root words “bis” and “cotto” literally mean “twice” and “baked.” (Kind of like twice baked potatoes, but not.) But please do not be intimidated by the fact that you have to bake them for a while, take them out of the oven, cool for a few minutes, slice them, and put them back in the oven to finish baking. It really is an easy process and truly not that time consuming.
And the results? Well let me just say – you haven’t lived until you’ve stumbled into the kitchen in the morning, prepared yourself a nice, hot cup of coffee, and sat down with the morning paper and a couple homemade biscotti. To my thinking, life simply does not get any better. Bon appetito!
ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI
- 7 T. + 2 T. unsalted butter
- ½ c. + 2 T. sugar
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- 2 c. flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 c. coarsely chopped almonds
- 1¼ c. chocolate chips, divided
- 2 tsp. unsalted butter
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Stir in 1 cup of the chocolate chips.
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes more or until firm. Remove pan from oven, but do not transfer to cooling rack.
Melt the 2 teaspoons butter and remaining ¼ cup chocolate chips together. Slowly drizzle chocolate mixture over biscotti. Let cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.
ANISE BISCOTTI WITH ALMONDS (traditional Italian favorite)
- ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 c. sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. anise extract
- 3 c. flour
- 1 T. baking powder
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 c. chopped almonds
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and anise extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Combine with butter mixture. Stir in the chopped almonds.
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 3-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 15 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are delicious, but they are jaw breakers! Best for dunking.
CANDIED ORANGE, DRIED CRANBERRY, AND CHOCOLATE CHUNK BISCOTTI
- ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ c. sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1½ tsp. vanilla
- 2 c. flour
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 4 oz. candied orange peel
- 1/3 c. dried cranberries (can use dried cherries)
- 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the candied orange peel and dried cranberries to the flour mix and stir (I use my fingers) until orange pieces and cranberries are coated with flour. Combine with butter mixture. Mix in chocolate chunks.
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into long logs, and flatten to 1-inch. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices.
Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.
CRANBERRY-ORANGE ANISE BISCOTTI WITH WHITE CHOCOLATE CHIPS
- ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ c. sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1¼ tsp. vanilla
- ¼ tsp. anise extract
- 2 c. flour
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 2 T. grated orange peel
- ¾ c. dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 c. white chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and anise extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the orange peel and dried cranberries to the flour mix and stir (I use my fingers) until orange peel and cranberries are coated with flour. Combine with butter mixture. Mix in white chocolate chips.
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 2 x 10-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices.
Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes to toast. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti. This is my niece Mya’s recipe. Thanks again darling girl.
DRIED CHERRIES, ALMONDS, AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
- ½ c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ c. sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. almond extract
- 2 c. flour
- 1½ tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- ½ c. dried cherries, chopped
- ½ c. lightly toasted slivered almonds
- 1 c. white chocolate chips
Cream butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dried cherries to the flour mix and stir (I use my fingers) until cherries are coated with flour. Combine with butter mixture. Mix in the toasted almonds and white chocolate chips.
Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into long log, and flatten to 1-inch thickness. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½-inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Note: I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.
PEPPERMINT CANDY AND CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI
- ¾ c. (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ c. granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp. good peppermint extract
- 3¼ c. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- ¼ tsp. salt
- 1 c. crushed peppermint soft mint candy, like Sees, King Leo, or Bob’s Sweet Stripes
- ½ c. mini semi-sweet chocolate chips or ½ cup chopped regular chocolate chips
- melted white chocolate, milk chocolate, or semi-sweet chocolate for drizzle, opt.
In your mixer bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the peppermint extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the crushed peppermint candy and the chocolate chips. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, beating only until blended. Using your hands liberally greased with butter, divide the dough in half. On a parchment paper lined baking sheet, pat each half into a 12 x 2½-inch rectangle. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool for 10 minutes. Then cut each roll diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Turn the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.
Note: Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. (I usually don’t decorate them because I’m lazy, and frankly they are sweet enough already. But if you are making them as a gift, a chocolate drizzle is a lovely touch.)
I suggest baking biscotti with straight oven heat. Convection baking browns them too quickly. These are soft biscotti.