Chocolate Biscotti

Time to get serious about Christmas preparations. Today, I'm cleaning out the freezer in order to have room to store my Christmas baking. I usually bake cookies that freeze and defrost well so I can have a good variety on the cookie plates I give out to friends. Last Christmas, I had frozen two, huge tins of cookies for friends who decided not to be friends anymore. Hey, it happens! Anyway, I forgot about them until June of this year. I was about to just toss them when my son opened one and discovered the cookies were still fresh and tasty even after the long ice age in the freezer. He and my husband enjoyed Christmas in June. Proof positive that cookies can be baked and frozen ahead of time!

I've informed my family that we will be living out of the freezer until I can make space for my baking. They usually enjoy this as I come up with some creative meals. I already have my baking ingredients on hand. Yes, I freeze my chocolate chips and dried fruit! Actually, I'm kind of at an impasse as I will have room in the freezer once I use the stocked away ingredients but I can't really get into baking until I make room in the freezer.

At the after-Christmas sales, last year, I purchased a lot of cookie tins for 25 cents each so I'm set for the gift-giving side. Besides, my husband would dearly like to get them cleared out of the closet. They are plastic and don't hurt that much when they fall on your head!

My goal today is get rid of the turkey leftovers this weekend aka eating them and drawing up my cookie lists. To start off the Advent/Cookie Baking Season, here is a favorite of mine.

Chocolate Biscotti
2/3 cups butter, softened
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon brandy
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2/3 cups unsweetened baking cocoa
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup coarsely chopped chocolate chips
½ cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and light. Add eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla and brandy. Combine the flour, cocoa, and baking powder and stir into creamed mixture until well-combined. Dough should be stiff, so mix the last of the flour by hand. Fold in the chocolate and nuts.

Divide the dough into four equal parts. Shape into long loaves, approximately ten inches long, two inches wide and about 3/4 to one inch thick. Forming them directly onto the greased baking sheets is easier. You will need more than one baking sheet.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes or until firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet. Using a sharp knife, slice the loaves diagonally into one inch slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes more. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container. Makes about 45 cookies.

My Version of Biscotti . . .

Biscotti seems to be the elegant cookie of choice these days. I notice that just a small package of these Italian cookie treats costs a lot more than the actual ingredients. When we were first married, my husband purchased an Italian baking book for the bread recipes in it. I discovered a Biscotti recipe in the back of the book and, with minor changes over the years, this has become a regular part of my Christmas cookie plates every year.

Biscotti

3¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cups toasted almonds, roughly chopped*

Place flour, sugar and baking powder in a large bowl. Mix. Add the rest of the ingredients, mixing thoroughly. Depending on how dry your flour is, you may either need an extra egg or more flour. The dough should hold it’s shape and you may find mixing and kneading it with your hands easier than with a spoon.

Grease two baking sheets. Divide the dough into quarters. Shape each piece of dough into a long, somewhat flattened loaf. The dough will spread in baking so keep some space between the loaves. Shaping the dough directly onto the baking sheets is easier than trying to move it from the board. The dough is sticky and spraying your hands with vegetable spray helps a lot. There will be two loaves on each baking sheet.

Bake in a 350 degree preheated oven for approximately 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325. Cool the loaves slightly and cut diagonally into 3/4-inch slices and lay them cut side up on the sheets. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes. Cool on racks.

*Toast whole, shelled almonds on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes at 375 degrees. Cool before chopping and adding to your dough. Do not blanch the almonds.
Ideas . . .
1. Instead of almonds, use chopped walnuts or pecans with a tablespoon of grated orange rind.
2. In place of any type of nut, add powdered ginger, cloves, cinnamon and lemon rind according to taste.
3. Use chopped walnuts and ¼ cup cocoa powder.
4. Mini chocolate chips and raisins
5. Form your cookie loaf on parchment paper for easy removal after baking.
6. Dip one end of the cookie into either dark or white chocolate.