Orange Coconut Biscotti

Why did I make these orange coconut biscotti?  Because I can, I wanted to and mostly, because I had a huge bag of coconut in my pantry!  So, I'll add this to my biscotti repertoire.  I prefer a soft cookie like biscotti which is why I rarely second bake them.  It doesn't make sense to me to have to dunk them in order to soften them up to be edible!  But, that's just my opinion....

I also revised a recipe to include a chocolate drizzle on top.  Everything is better with chocolate and besides, it added to the visual appeal.  These would be fantastic with a chocolate or coconut ice cream!

Orange Coconut Biscotti 

1/4 lb (1 stick) softened butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp vanilla (I used orange extract in this recipe)

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted for garnish (optional)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs and whatever extract flavor you want while mixing well.  Reduce mixer speed and add the coconut, then the flour,  baking powder and salt.  Divide the dough into 3 pieces and form each into a "log" about 12  inches in length.  Place onto a parchment lined sheet pan and bake for approximately 20-25 minutes until golden.

Remove, cool slightly and gently lift onto a cutting board.  Using a long serrated knife, slice into 1/2 inch diagonal pieces.  Drizzle with melted chocolate in a crisscross pattern.  And there you have it!  Enjoy.  

Keep in a tightly sealed container to insure the softness.

Dark Chocolate Biscotti with White Chocolate Chips

Every year I try to add a unique cookie recipe to my Christmas cookie baking.  If they turn out as planned I keep them in the line up for the following year.    Frangipane tartletts were last year's creations and they aren't going anywhere.  They are definite "keepers" or "eaters".  As I paged through a small Italian cookie cookbook, I found a few I might experiment with this year.  But, since I had all the ingredients for these biscotti, I figured why not get busy honing my biscotti making skills.  You never know when I might need to make more and more of them for different events!

Dark Chocolate Biscotti with White Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

1/4 pound butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp amaretto (or any coffee liqueur)

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1/2 cup extra dark cocoa

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 white chocolate chips

Using an electric mixer (or kitchen aid stand up mixer) beat butter, sugar and liqueur.  Add the eggs and blend well.

Gradually add the flour, cocoa and baking powder on low speed.  Add the chocolate chips, mix well and divide into two "loaves" 10-12 inches long and about 2-3 inches wide.  Place onto a parchment covered cookie sheet pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

I don't like a hard biscotti so this is where it all ends.  To twice bake them, let them cool a bit, slice into 1/2 inch pieces and place them back onto the cookie sheet on their sides.  Bake for an additional 12 minutes, or so.  Keep in an airtight container.

If you don't choose the twice bake version, you will get a biscotti that is crispy on the outside but chewy in the middle.    The recipe makes about 40-50.

Traditional Anise Flavored Biscotti

As a young girl my best friend was Italian.  My mother would often visit with JoJo's mom down the street for afternoon tea or coffee.  This was during an era when most mom's did not work outside the home except for volunteering at school or church.  I never minded going over to JoJo's except that her family always had these strange looking and equally strange tasting cookies.  What's a biscotti?  What I was experiencing at such an early age is exactly what I made in my kitchen the other day!  Now they aren't so strange.  If fact, they were darn good!

These days, I make biscotti for my best friend, who is also Italian.  He also happens to be my BEST friend for the last 40 years...and my hubby.    Even though these biscotti are on the plain side, they don't lack for flavor and they certainly didn't last very long in this home!

Traditional Anise Flavored Biscotti

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp anise extract

1 - 2 tsp orange extract (I thought this would give it more flavor but optional)

3 1/4 cups flour, all-purpose

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 egg white, beaten

1 -2 Tbsp sugar (regular granulated)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.   In a large bowl beat the oil, eggs, sugar and extracts.   In a smaller measuring cup or bowl combine the flour and baking powder.    Add the flour into the egg/sugar mixture and blend until a heavy dough begins to form.

Divide the dough into 2 pieces.   (NOTE)  Working on a floured board,  form them into 12 inch or so long log shapes.  Slightly press down.  Brush some egg white onto the surface and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the cooking process.  When golden brown remove from the oven and slide them off onto a clean cutting board to cool slightly.  With a serrated knife slice them into 1/2 inch slices.  I usually don't "second bake" my biscotti...I like them on the chewy side.  You can though.  Just put back onto the cookie sheet cut side up and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.

NOTE:  

For this batch I made one loaf plain and one with chopped almonds.  This is where you would add them.

Lavender Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I may have found my calling.  I  imagine life in a small coastal Italian town where biscotti abounds and people come to my shop to taste my latest biscotti creations!  A girl can dream, right?   I'm currently on a biscotti baking bender!  Not those hard tooth breaking kind where a cup of coffee or glass of milk is a requirement for dunking (softening).  My biscotti are crunchy on the outside but chewy till the last bite.

As you know I like to cook or bake with secret ingredients.  This time I sprinkled a bit of culinary lavender into the batter.  What a pleasant surprise!   Now, to figure a way to market them.  Yes, they were that good!  Stay tuned for more flavors and variations of my "Beloved Biscotti".

This recipe makes between 40-50 biscotti. (2 loaves cut roughly into 1/2 - 3/4 inch slices)  I made both with lavender but only one had the addition of blueberry craisins.  Both were quite wonderful.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (toasted or not)

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups + 2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 tsp culinary lavender, crushed

1/2 cup chocolate chips or small chunks

2 large eggs, for batter

2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup blueberry flavored craisins (optional)

2 Tbsp water (depending on dough consistency)

1 egg, beaten for brushing the tops

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl hand mix the hazelnuts, sugar, baking powder, flour, lavender and chocolate chips.  

In a smaller bowl stir in the 2 eggs and vanilla.  Add to the flour mixture along with the blueberry craisins, if using.  Flour your hands and use a well floured surface (bread board) to start working with the dough.  It will be VERY sticky and will look like a mistake.  Persevere!  It will come together.  If it's too dry, add some of the water.  If it's too wet add a bit of flour.  Form a ball and cut in half.

On the floured surface roll each piece into a log shape approximately 12 inches long, 3 inches wide and only 3/4 inch high.  Do the same with the other loaf.  Arrange on a parchment covered cookie sheet.  Brush with the beaten egg.

Bake for 40 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through.  The loaves should be golden colored.  Remove and cool for 20 minutes before slicing.  Resist the urge to eat them.

After cooling slide them onto a cutting surface.  Using a serrated knife cut into 3/4 inch slices.

At this point you have a BIG decision to make.  For traditional biscotti (harder), reduce the oven temperature to 200 degrees.  Place the cut biscotti onto the same parchment covered cookie sheet.  Bake for an additional 20 minutes.  I like my biscotti softer so I either don't do the second baking or only bake the second time for 10 minutes.  You can choose.  Remove when done, cool and store in an airtight container.

Here are the chocolate lavender blueberry biscotti!

Chocolate Blueberry Biscotti

My home still has the distinctive aroma of heaven!  Yesterday I decided to create some biscotti from the Chocoley Chocolate that I'm reviewing.  It takes alot of willpower not to just devour it right out of the bag!  I figured I'd better get the harmless dark brown morsels  baked into something quick.  I'll "hide" them in some biscotti!

The only problem was that this recipe adapted from "the cook's tour" desperately needed chocolate and I had just the stuff to use.  Chocoley's new product is a fair trade, organic and 65% dark chocolate.  Perfect for baking as I proved with these aromatic chocolate blueberry biscotti.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup toasted chopped hazelnuts

1 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

2 cups plus 2 Tbsp flour

2 large eggs, for batter

1 egg for brushing the tops, lightly beaten

2 Tbsp vanilla

1/2 cup blueberry flavored craisins or dried blueberries

1/2 cup Chocoley fair trade organic chocolate, crushed into pieces

2 Tbsp water (depending on dough consistency)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, hand mix the toasted hazelnuts, sugar, baking powder, flour and chocolate.

In a smaller bowl, stir eggs and vanilla until blended.  Add to the flour mixture.  Throw in the blueberries and stir.  Flour your hands and start to work with the dough.  It will be very sticky, but, I promise you it will begin to come together.  (I added about 2 Tbsp of water to bring it together, however, this could be due to the altitude difference.)  Once that happens, form a ball, and cut in half.

After the mixing - almost ready

On a floured surface, roll one piece into a loaf shape about 12 inches long, 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch high.  Do the same with the remaining dough piece.  Place the "loaves" onto a baking sheet.  Brush with the beaten egg.

After baking for 40 minutes

Bake for 40 minutes, turning the baking sheet around halfway through.   The loaves should be a golden color.  Remove and cool for about 20 minutes before slicing.  Use a metal spatula to remove without breaking and slide them onto a cutting surface.  Use a serrated knife and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.   Each loaf should yield about 14 slices.  At this point you should "test" 2 and then you''ll  have an even dozen per loaf.  That's optional but highly advisable!  You're almost done.

Now, place the slices back onto a parchment covered baking sheet on their sides.  Reduce the oven to 200 degrees and bake for an additional 20 minutes to harden them.  I chose to only cook them for another 10 minutes.  I prefer them more on the chewier side vs. hard.  Remove from the oven, cool and then store in a tin or airtight container.  That way they'll keep for almost a month.

Tucked away in their tin.  They won't last a month around here!

I can't tell you how great these turned out.  You should have been there!

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