biscotti, two ways

A day and a half before my friend's bridal shower, I made about eight batches of biscotti. Please don't ever do this. While biscotti itself is surprisingly easy to make — and it's not like I had the time or the foresight to, you know, do a trial-run batch just to make sure the recipe was good — eight batches made after a full workday made me a little crazy.  Or crazier than normal, however you look at it.

Anyway, I'm happy to report that these little twice-baked Italian desserts that I used to fill guests' parting favors came out delicious. The cinnamon-sugar biscotti was easiest to work with, and was my favorite in taste.  It came out super crunchy, and the cinnamon-sugar topping made it reminiscent of cinnamon toast crunch (my guilty-pleasure cereal).  Dipped in milk or coffee or hot chocolate... perfection.

The other recipe I used was for chocolate biscotti. I added chocolate chips to half the batch, and slivered almonds to the other half. This recipe was a little harder to work with — or perhaps my dough was too warm — but a few minutes in the freezer put it back on track.  I just wish I had some left...

Cinnamon-Sugar Biscotti
adapted from Joy the Baker

2 cups flour
1 and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk (save the white for an egg wash, below)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 beaten egg white (for brushing)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Arrange baking racks in the upper portion of the oven.  Lightly oil a cooking sheet, or line it with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a bowl.  Set aside.

In a different bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and the egg yolk.  Beat in the vanilla.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter.  Use a spoon to form the mixture into a stiff dough.  Divide the dough in two equal parts and arrange each in a 9-inch by 1-and-1/2-inch log. Brush each log with the beaten egg white.

In a small bowl, whisk the cinnamon and sugar together for the topping. Sprinkle this generously on each log of biscotti.

Bake the biscotti for 20 minutes, then turn the baking sheet around for even baking.  Bake another 20 to 25 minutes more, until the biscotti are golden and firm.  Remove and let cool until you can handle them.  Use a serrated knife to cut 1/2-inch diagonals.  Place the biscotti cut-side-down on the baking sheet and brush with egg wash again. Sprinkle with the rest of the cinnamon-sugar topping.  

Bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the sides have turned a pale golden color.  Let cool, and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Biscotti

adapted from Sugar Laws

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 ounces dark chocolate, melted

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

(Note: You can also add chocolate chips or slivered almonds into the batter, as I did. Just toast the almonds a little bit first for better flavor.)

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Lightly oil a cookie sheet, or cover it in parchment paper.

Mix the oil, sugar, vanilla, melted chocolate, cocoa powder and eggs in a bowl until well combined. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Add the dry mixture into the wet mixture until well combined.

Divide the dough in half and form it into two even logs (I did the same 9-inch by 1-and1/2-inch dimensions as the above recipe).

Bake the biscotti for 35 minutes, turning the cookie sheet around halfway through for even baking.  Remove from the oven and let cool until you can handle them.  Reduce the heat to 275 degrees.  Use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti at a diagonal, making each about 3/4-inch thick.  Lay the biscotti on their sides and bake another 9 minutes or so, until firm.