Biscotti - Nutty Biscotti

My last biscotti recipe for this series. Hope you enjoyed it!

1/4 c softened butter
2 large eggs
1 egg white
3/4 c sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 slivered or ground almonds
3/4 c milk chocolate chips

Cream first 5 ingredients together in large bowl until smooth. Add flour, baking soda, salt and nuts. Mix well. Turn out onto lightly floured surface. Knead 6 times. Place on greased baking sheet. Shape into 16 inch long log, 1 inch thick. Bake 350 degrees for 30 min. Cool on wire rack for 10-15 min. Reduce oven temp to 275 degrees. Cut in 1/2 inch long slices. Arrange cut side down on same baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 min. Turn slices over. Turn off oven. Let stand in oven for 30 min. until crisp. Once cooled, dip in 3/4 c melted milk chocolate chips. Place on waxed paper. Makes about 24 biscotti.

Biscotti from scratch- Chocolate Almond

I got this recipe from a friend (Linda) years ago. It's one of my favorite recipes and I make it often for Christmas. Sorry no pictures for this one but trust me it's easy and wonderful!


Ingredients:
1 1/2 c white flour
1/3 c unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbs softened butter
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 c chopped slivered almonds
1/2 c mini semisweet chocolate chips
1 square (1 oz) white chocolate melted (or you can use melting chocolates)


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In small bowl, stir first 3 ingredients; set aside. In mixer at high speed, cream butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in vanilla; at low speed. Stir in flour mixture until just combined; fold in nuts and chips.


On a large foil lined cookie sheet, spoon dough to form a loaf that is about 9" long by 5" wide. Bake 18-20 min. or until top springs back when lightly touched.


Remove sheet to rack to cool for 15 min. Reduce oven to 300 degrees. Cut loaf crosswise into 1" slices. Place cut side up on cookie sheet. Bake 15 min. then turn off oven. Turn cookies over to the other cut side and leave in oven for 15 more min. Remove and cool on rack. Drizzle with white chocolate.

Biscotti - Flavor Combinations

As part of the biscotti series I want to give you a list of combination ideas for the cake mix method. I'll be posting a biscotti recipe from scratch next...but I might take the next two days off. =0)

Cake Mix Flavors (these are all Pillsbury and Betty Crocker flavors)
Devils Food
Spice
Vanilla
Chocolate Fudge
Triple Chocolate Fudge
Milk Chocolate
Red Velvet
German Chocolate
Banana
Dark Chocolate
Golden Butter
Chocolate Butter
Pineapple
Strawberry
Butter Pecan

Batter Mix Ins
Crushed Heath Bar
Chopped nuts of any type
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Milk chocolate chips
Peanut butter chips
Butterscotch chips
Mint chips
Chopped peppermint or candy cane
Chopped candy bar
Shredded coconut
Mini marshmallows
Mini M&Ms
Chopped chocolate bar
Chopped toffee bits
Chopped chocolate covered coffee beans
Instant coffee (dissolve it in a few tbsp of warm water first)
Imitation Flavors (like almond extract, orange extract, mint extract, lemon extract, etc.)
Cinnamon

Dip Ins
Shaved chocolate bar
Chopped dried fruit
Chopped dried candied fruits
Crushed Heath Bar
Chopped nuts of any type
Semi sweet chocolate chips
Milk chocolate chips
Peanut butter chips
Butterscotch chips
Mint chips
Chopped peppermint or candy cane
Chopped candy bar
Shredded coconut
Mini marshmallows
Mini M&Ms
Chopped chocolate bar
Chopped toffee bits
Chopped chocolate covered coffee beans

A Few Combinations to try:

Hot Chocolate - milk chocolate cake mix, chocolate chips and marshmallows mixed in, dipped in milk chocolate and dipped in marshmallows.

Christmas Peppermint - red velvet cake mix, 1 tsp mint extract mixed in, dipped in white chocolate and dipped in chopped candy cane.

Java Mocha - Triple chocolate fudge cake mix, 2 tbsp instant coffee (or 1 tbsp instant espresso) and chocolate chips mixed in, dipped in dark chocolate and chopped chocolate covered coffee beans.

Hawaiian Island - Pineapple cake mix, 1/2 c shredded coconut mixed in, dipped in milk chocolate and toasted shredded coconut. (If you are thinking that pineapple and chocolate don't go together, then you've never had the chocolate dipped pineapple at the Dole Plantation in Hawaii. Just trust me on this one)

The ones in this picture are triple chocolate dipped in milk chocolate dipped in chopped chocolate chips and the other ones are yellow cake mixed with shredded coconut and almond extract dipped in white chocolate dipped in toasted coconut.

Biscotti - Chocolate Dipping

I love to chocolate dip things and biscotti would be one of my favorites to do. The best technique I have found is to use Candy Melts by Wilton. They have an incredible high temp level for melting...meaning they will stay melted even at high temperatures instead of turning chalky like chocolate chips. You don't have to mix anything into them to get the right consistency, they stay melted for a longggggggggg period of time without re-heating allowing you to work slowly if you need to, and they have a GREAT taste. They are a rich, yet smooth tasting chocolate. I buy mine at Walmart in the craft section...at my store they are by the wedding cake and candy making stuff. They come in several colors with coordinating flavors.

As you can see in this picture, these candy melts have been in my pantry awhile or were exposed to cold weather while in route to the store and yet they still melt beautifully! (in the picture I used a mix of dark chocolate and milk chocolate).

You can melt the candy melts in your microwave a little at a time and stirring regularly. OR for biscotti, I like to melt them over the burner on low heat in a wide skillet so that I can dip the whole biscotti in flat sides down. As soon as it's melted take the chocolate off the heat and it will stay melted.

Then start dipping. Like I said above, I like to dip the cut sides down so that you get some chocolate with every dip and bite. But you could certainly dip just the ends or drizzle chocolate across the tops.

Lay them chocolate side down on wax paper. This will give your chocolate sides a nice flat/pressed look.

Once they've cooled completely, peel them off of the wax paper and store them in a sealed container or ziplock bag.

If you want to add a step to the process, after dipping them in chocolate, dip them in a plate of your favorite chopped nuts or candy.

Biscotti - Lemon Pecan

These are really good for tea.

1 box of plain lemon cake mix
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup flour
1/2 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together all the above ingredients till blended. It should form a dough ball. With floured hands, shape the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches long by 4 inches wide on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake till center comes out clean with a toothpick or cake tester and when lightly pressed on top it feels firm (about 30-35 min.).

Remove cookie sheet from oven and let cool about 10 min. Leave oven on. Cutting on the baking sheet, use a serrated bread knife to slice the rectangle into 1 inch thick slices. You should get about 14 slices. Carefully turn these slices onto their sides, using the slicing knife to arrange them on the same baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven.

Bake for 10 more minutes. Turn the oven off and let the biscotti remain in the oven until they are crisp (about 30-40 min). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool completely.

Easy Biscotti - Butter Pecan

The easiest way to make biscotti is with a cake mix. Here is the basic recipe to use any cake mix. Be creative with your flavors...I've even thought about trying a red velvet cake mix for Christmas biscotti. Maybe dip it in white chocolate and crushed peppermint pieces. You can use a chocolate mix and add in crushed Heath Bar, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or a tbsp of instant coffee, etc....be creative with your flavors.


Ingredients
1 box of cake mix (in the pictures I used Butter Pecan)
1 stick of butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup flour



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.



Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.



Mix together all the above ingredients till blended. It should form a dough ball. With floured hands, shape the dough into a rectangle about 14 inches long by 4 inches wide on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven and bake till center comes out clean with a toothpick or cake tester and when lightly pressed on top it feels firm (about 30-35 min.). The top will also have little cracks in it.



Remove cookie sheet from oven and let cool about 10 min. Leave oven on. Cutting on the baking sheet, use a serrated bread knife to slice the rectangle into 1 inch thick slices. You should get about 14 slices. Carefully turn these slices onto their sides, using the slicing knife to arrange them on the same baking sheet. Return the baking sheet to the oven.Bake for 10 more minutes. Turn the oven off and let the biscotti remain in the oven until they are crisp (about 30-40 min). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let cool completely.

Instructions for dipping them coming tomorrow.

Biscotti Series

Merry Christmas and WELCOME to my biscotti recipe series! There are so many varieties and flavors of this famous Italian cookie that the possibilities are almost endless! I've even found a biscotti cookie club (as in "biscotti of the month" club) for those who adore the cookie. Here's the link. Also on their website you can get ideas for just about every flavor you can think of...I believe they are listed on the right.

So, this week I'm bringing you some of my own recipes for this dipping cookie...but first some education about the whole thing:

In Italy if a cookie is twice baked then it's a biscotto (singular) or biscotti (plural). Biscotti are hard enough to be dipped into coffee, cocoa, tea, milk, or sweet wine and not crumble. But they should never be so hard to crack a tooth. Homemade biscotti will keep at room temperature in a sealed container for 2-3 weeks.