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Monday, November 16, 2009

Biscotti Cookies

This is the last posts from my Family Heritage Christmas cookie recipes. Every Monday I was sharing my Christmas cookie recipes that I bake every year. I am going to start preparing for Thanksgiving. I will show all the preparation, foods of our traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

I have already posted about my Connoli, Strufalas, Almond Crescents, no cook S’mores, Almond cups , Coconut Macaroons, Crisp sugar cookies, Chocolate Dipped Lady Fingers, and Oat Rageous Chocolate Chip Peanut butter, Neapolitan Cookies and Almond Rugalas Cookies.



These are a very tasty, dense crispy and twice baked cookie. Perfect for dunking in coffee.  They will hold their shape. 

Ingredients:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped. Omit the chocolate and add vanilla chips for a vanilla biscotti.
1 cup light brown sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa. Omit for vanilla biscotti.
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup hazelnuts (toasted and coarsely chopped)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees,
To toast hazelnuts: spread on a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until lightly browned and the skins begin to flake. Remove from the oven and place nuts in a dish towel. Roll up the towel and let the nuts 'steam' for 5 minutes and then briskly rub the towel (with nuts inside) to remove the skins from the nuts. Cool and then chop coarsely. Set aside while you prepare the dough.
Reduce temperature of oven to 300 degree. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the coarsely chopped chocolate and brown sugar and process until the chocolate is very fine; set aside.

Sift or whisk together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of your electric mixer combine the eggs and vanilla extract and beat to blend, about 30 seconds. On low speed mix in the chocolate/sugar and flour mixtures until a stiff dough forms, adding the hazelnuts about half way through mixing.

On a floured surface divide the dough in half. Form each half into a log 12 inches long. Do this by rolling the dough back and forth into a cylinder shape with floured hands. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them well apart (width-wise on the pan), and pat to even the shapes. Bake until almost firm to the touch, about 35 - 40 minutes (logs will spread during baking).
Remove from the oven, place on wire rack, and let cool for 10 minutes.

Using a long spatula transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife cut the dough into slices 3/4 inch thick on the diagonal. Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 15 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Makes about 20 biscotti

Very easy Biscotti cookies.
This recipe is for a nice light crispy cookie.  Not for dunking in Coffee.
3-1/2 cups of flower
1 cup brown sugar or Splenda Brown sugar.
1- egg
1/2 cup of oil
1/4 cup of butter or margarine
1/4 cup of water
2 tea spoons of Baking Soda
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Optional dry ingredients: 
1-1/2 cup of your favorite nuts and or 1-1/2 cup of chocolate chips. 
Optional wet ingredients: 
You can add just one of these Items to transform these Biscotti's into really great flavors.
1 cup of Nutella, or 1 cup of peanut butter, or 1/4 cup of your favorite liqueur.   

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees,

Put everything in a bowl except for the nuts.  (If you want to add nuts, put them in at the end).  Mix together until everything is incorporated.  Split in half and form a log.  flatten the top of the log and put in the over for 35 minutes.  Let cool for about ten minutes and across the log cut one inch pieces.  Stand side by side not letting the cookies touch.  Back again for another 10 minutes. 

Makes about 28 biscotti




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1 comment:

  1. That just looks so delicious and pretty! Amazing cookie recipe collection!

    ReplyDelete