I can finally say that I accomplished some holiday baking this season! Whew! Mini-cheesecakes are still on the top of my “to do list” and hopefully I’ll find some time next week to whip them up. But for this weekend, I made Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Crunch Biscotti! Let’s all say it together… YUMM!!!!!! 🙂
I’m meeting up with a few friends on Sunday for tea and a goodie exchange. I’m bringing these fabulous biscotti cookies and pretzel turtles. I’m so excited to be seeing everyone!! 🙂 I can’t wait to sample all the yummy treats! But I must admit, I’m mostly looking forward to seeing the guys sip tea and eat tea sandwiches! 😉 It will be a good time with good company, I’m sure of it! 🙂
These cookies were fun to make, but more fun to decorate! I got a little discouraged part way thru with the dough being so crumbly and dry. But in the end, it all came together. So don’t give up! Keep moving forward and everything will come together nicely! 🙂
Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Crunch Biscotti! 🙂
Chocolate Chip Heath Bar Crunch Biscotti
(makes about 2 dozen)
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; measure using spoon method
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup Heath Toffee Bits
3/4 semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate chips of choice for dipping/stripping (I used dark chocolate)
sprinkles
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Like cookie sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick silpat making mat. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and, salt until well combined. Add in chocolate chips and Heath Toffee Bits. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, add the sugar, eggs, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer starting at low-speed, gradually increasing it to high, until frothy, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Using a spatula, stir until just moistened. The dough will seem a little dry and may be sticky. (This is an understatement! The dough was very dry and crumbly, to the point I thought maybe I did something wrong. 😦 The dough did start to come together more while shaping the dough into logs. Hang in there on this one! 🙂 )
Knead the dough in the bowl just until it comes together.
Turn the dough onto a non-flour dusted work surface (I used the lined cookie sheet it was going to be baked on). Shape the dough into two 8×2.5-inch logs.
If not working on the cookie sheet already, place the logs about 3-inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Flatten the logs slightly with your hands.
Bake until the logs are golden brown and covered with tiny cracks, about 3o minutes. Do not turn off the oven.
Transfer the logs on its pan to a wire cooling rack and let them cool on the pan for 10 minutes.
While still warm, using a serrated knife, cut the logs on a slight diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices (I cut the logs while still on the cookie sheet so I didn’t have to worry about breaking them while moving to another surface for cutting.). Arrange slices back on the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Turn the biscotti over and continue baking until the edges are crisp, about 10 minutes more. The edges will be brown and the centers will be soft, but the biscotti will crisp when cooled. Do not over-bake.
Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
For decorating ~ I melted half a bag of dark chocolate chips at a time in a coffee mug for 1 minute. I stirred with a spoon until smooth and then dipped one end of the biscotti in the mug to coat with chocolate and finished it off with a dusting of sprinkles. I think I ended up using about 1-1/2 packages of dark chocolate chips for a double batch of biscotti. If you’re short on chocolate, after melting down, stripe the biscotti by dipping your spoon in the melted chocolate and then drizzle over the biscotti in a back and forth motion. Let chocolate set before serving/packaging. The options for decorating are endless! Have fun with it. Instead of sprinkles using chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips! 🙂
Biscotti will keep for about 2 weeks in an airtight container or for 3 months frozen.
Recipe to Sooth Soul – 1 cup hot coffee or tea, 1 biscotti cookie, 20 minutes of quiet-time and 1 comfy chair. Enjoy! 🙂
Merry Christmas from me to YOU!
epicureantease 