My dears! I’m sorry it’s been so long. The combination of a significant amount of work-travel (for the job that pays the bills) and just a tiny bit of snow has caused quite the blog hiatus. Not really where I wanted to be with only my 10th post, but it is what it is. I’m finally home for more than a few days at a time, and couldn’t wait to get back into the kitchen.
This past Fall I donated an order of “sweets” to the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation’s Boston fundraising auction. The winning bidder recently contacted me to make his choice, and he noticed something appealing way down at the bottom of my cookie gallery - biscotti! I don’t make them often because they're not one of my favorites, so this is actually only the third time I’ll have made them, but they're a fun project and certainly differ from the typical cookie-making experience.
Previously, the biscotti I’d made had either oil or butter, so this time I decided to go the traditional route - neither! Here’s a great article all about that. They’re relatively easy, and super delicious. I’m not usually a crunchy cookie fan, but dipping biscotti in hot tea or coffee is one of my favorite snowstorm afternoon activities.
Happy Baking!
adapted from Martha Stewart
MAKES ~30 Biscotti
INGREDIENTS/SUPPLIES
1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
Orange zest (1 orange)
1.5 cups all-purpose flour (180g)
3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (2.25oz)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1/2 cup cinnamon chips (mini or regular)
stand mixer
2 cookie sheets & parchment paper
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. With a pencil, draw two parallel lines along the length of a piece of parchment paper, sized for your cookie sheet. Draw the lines 2.5” apart, then turn the paper over onto your cookie sheet so it is pencil side down. Repeat with a second piece and cookie sheet.
Grind the zest of one orange into 1 cup of granulated sugar. This can be done with a pestle, the back of a large spoon, or with a small food processor.
In the bowl of a stand mixer mix 1.5c flour, 3/4c cocoa powder, 2tsp baking powder, 1/4tsp salt, and the sugar/orange zest mixture. After mixing with the beater blade, hand whisk for ~20 seconds to aerate.
Add the pre-mixed 3 eggs and 1TB vanilla, mix until combined.
Add 1/2 cup cinnamon chips, mix until combined.
Shape half of the dough into a long log within the lines you’ve drawn on one piece of parchment, about 3/4” high. It does not need to run the length of the sheet, but make it long, and better longer than higher, as it will spread significantly. Make sure to stay within the lines you’ve drawn that are 2.5” apart! Repeat with the second half and second cookie sheet, returning to slightly reshape the first if it spreads while you’re working on the second. The dough will be very sticky - slightly wetting your hands before working the dough can help.
Bake until dough is firm but gives slightly when pressed - 20-25 minutes. Make sure to rotate/switch the sheets half way through. Let cool on sheet on cooling rack 20 minutes.
With a serrated knife, slice the logs into 1/4” pieces on the diagonal. Arrange one cut side down on the parchment and re-bake 15 minutes, rotating/switching sheets and flipping biscotti half way through. If the parchment from the first bake is messy or has almost-burnt bits on it, use new parchment for the second round of baking.
Let cool on sheets, then store in tupperware or ziploc bag. Will freeze well!
