March 21, 2013

Biscotti Love

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Nicole and I decided to spend the afternoon baking biscotti.  It was a pretty grey day and there was no better way to spend it.  Catching up, drinking tea and baking! Perfect!

I think we probably went a tad overboard...we made 4 different kinds.  Mint Chocolate, Butterscotch, Lemon Lavender White Chocolate, Cranberry Pistachio Dark Chocolate.

We didn't want to play around with such a simple, delicious cookie.  There are so many ways to lighten up these recipes, which I have done in the past, but why change something that is already so perfect.  Plus, biscotti's are actually quite a low calorie cookie that you can feel good about treating yourself to!


Lemon Lavender White Chocolate
(adapted from Bon-Bon Bonnie's Lavender/Lemon Biscotti

Light and refreshing, with a hint of sweetness from the white chocolate.  The perfect afternoon treat to have with your cup of tea.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp dried lavender blossoms
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Process sugar and lavender blossoms in food processor until a fine powder forms.
2. Cream butter and sugar in your stand mixer or large bowl until light and fluffy.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix well.
3. Add all dry ingredients (except white chocolate chips) to your stand mixer, or a large bowl.  Combine well.
4.  Add dry to wet.
5. Mix until well combined.
6.  Add white chocolate chips.
7.  Split dough into 2.
8. Form each section of dough into a log, approx. 10 inches long, 3 inches wide.
9.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet (or use your silpat) for 20-25 minutes until corners are brown and crispy.  The centre will be soft.
10.  Remove from oven, cut into ~3/4 inch-1 inch slices.
11.  Place slices on their side and bake for ~10 minutes on each side.
12.  Remove from oven, allow to cool, and serve with your favourite cup of tea.  My personal favourite is red rose with milk :)






Butterscotch Biscotti

We used a plain biscotti recipe and just added 1-1/2 cups of butterscotch chips.  These are so beyond amazing.  Words can't even describe.  These were the first to go out of my freezer...

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups butterscotch chips


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix well.
3. Add all dry ingredients (except butterscotch chips) to your stand mixer, or a large bowl.  Combine well.
4.  Add dry to wet.
5. Mix until well combined.
6.  Add butterscotch chips.
7.  Split dough into 2.
8. Form each section of dough into a log, approx. 10 inches long, 3 inches wide.
9.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet (or use your silpat) for 20-25 minutes until corners are brown and crispy.  The centre will be soft.
10.  Remove from oven, cut into ~3/4 inch-1 inch slices.
11.  Place slices on their side and bake for ~10 minutes on each side.
12.  Remove from oven, allow to cool.




Pistachio Cranberry Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Full of some seriously delicious ingredients.  The pistachios add a nice crunch, cranberries add a nice chew and the dark chocolate adds a nice richness to these yummy cookies.  

Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup unsalted pistachios
1/2-1 cup dried cranberries
1/2-1 cup dark chocolate chips



Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix well.
3. Add all dry ingredients (except pistachios, cranberries, and chocolate chips) to your stand mixer, or a large bowl.  Combine well.
4.  Add dry to wet.
5. Mix until well combined.
6.  Add dark chocolate chips, pistachios, cranberries.
7.  Split dough into 2.
8. Form each section of dough into a log, approx. 10 inches long, 3 inches wide.
9.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet (or use your silpat) for 20-25 minutes until corners are brown and crispy.  The centre will be soft.
10.  Remove from oven, cut into ~3/4 inch-1 inch slices.
11.  Place slices on their side and bake for ~10 minutes on each side.
12.  Remove from oven, allow to cool.





Chocolate Mint Biscotti
adapted from Honest Cooking's Double Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

'Nuf said.

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter (softened)
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1-2 tsp peppermint extract (we used 2)
1 cup mint chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix well.
3. Add all dry ingredients (except mint chocolate chips) to your stand mixer, or a large bowl.  Combine well.
4.  Add dry to wet.
5. Mix until well combined.
6.  Add mint chocolate chips.
7.  Split dough into 2.
8. Form each section of dough into a log, approx. 10 inches long, 3 inches wide.
9.  Bake on a parchment lined cookie sheet (or use your silpat) for 20-25 minutes until corners are brown and crispy.  The centre will be soft.
10.  Remove from oven, cut into ~3/4 inch-1 inch slices.
11.  Place slices on their side and bake for ~10 minutes on each side.
12.  Remove from oven, allow to cool.

A few stragglers...



Sooooooo...I'm sorry I waited so long to post these recipes.  I just thought it was going to take much longer than it really did.  I hope you guys make at least one of these recipes.  They are too good to pass up.  

All right...I am off to continue my relaxing day.  The couch is calling my name! Trying to get as much rest in as I can before the COMOX VALLEY HALF MARATHON this Sunday! EEK so soon.  

xo

6 comments:

  1. Those biscotti were sooooo good!

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  2. First of all, I AM SO JAZZED FOR SUNDAY!! You guys are going to kick ass at that race!! I seriously would kill to be a spectator with an obnoxious sign! Secondly..you can NEVER bake too much.. especially biscotti! I have never attempted to make biscotti, but these flavor all sound amazing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ME TOOOO!!! And we would both LOVE if you had an obnoxious sign! They're the best...probably won't be too many there...it's a small race lol! But awesome :) And yes, that's a really good point...especially since they're all gone! Turns out I'm not the only one who loves biscotti. Weird...

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  3. I am droooooooling!! Well, I was drooling when you made these but not I am doing it all over again. How have you not brought me one of these babies yet? Cranberry one pleaseeeee!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THEY'RE ALL GONEEEE!!! Sad I know...again, I'm not the only one who loves em. Francis and the entire fan does too!

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