White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti

My husband's favorite cookie is White Chocolate Macadamia Nut so when I saw this biscotti recipe I knew I would be making it soon. It was a great biscotti recipe and we all loved it!

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Biscotti
Recipe from Surly Kitchen

½ c sugar
4 Tbl butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1 ¼ c flour
2/3 c quick oats
½ tsp baking powder
generous pinch salt
¼ c white chocolate chips
1.5 oz (generous ¼ c) chopped macadamia nuts


In a bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk in the eggs. Add the dry ingredients, along with the chips and nuts, and stir with a rubber spatula (or wooden spoon) until just combined. Cover dough and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes minimum.

When ready to bake, remove dough from fridge and preheat oven to 350F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. With wet hands, take the dough and form it into a rectangular loaf. Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden brown. Remove.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut loaf into desired portion size. Bake the pieces for about 6 minutes on each side, until golden and toasted.

If desired, drizzle melted chocolate over pieces. Allow to cool completely, before storing in an airtight container.

SMS: Sour Cherry and Almond Biscotti

It's been a while since I have made biscotti so I was very excited to see it pop up in the SMS rotation. Nathan and I really enjoyed this one. It is filled with dried cherries, almonds, and lemon zest. Yum, yum, and yum!

Thanks to Tracey of Made by Tray Tray for hosting this week. The recipe can be found at her blog.

Daring Bakers Past Challenge: Biscotti

Here is another wonderful treat to add to your Christmas trays! This was the second Daring Baker challenge back in December 2006. The recipe comes from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours.

I added dried cherries to the biscotti and it was wonderful! I would've loved to have dipped them in white chocolate, too, but they were being sent to Iraq and while it's winter here, I really question whether Iraq has any season other than HOT!

Sorry this post is so short... I am feeling a little unmotivated and I have to get dinner started. Is it bedtime yet??? :)

Chocolate Biscotti
Dorie Greenspan

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
¾ stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chopped almonds, blanched or unblanched
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or ¾ cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
Sugar, for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may be crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until a dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate, then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12-inch-long logs. Flatten both logs with the palm of your hand, so that they are ½ to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular, then carefully lift the logs onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle each log with a little sugar.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The logs will spread and crack - and that’s just fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)

Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices between ½ and ¾ inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet - you’ll have an army of biscotti - and baking the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes.

Transfer the biscotti to a rack to cool.

TWD: Lenox Almond Biscotti

No picture for this weeks recipe, but I promise I made it! When I made the biscotti, I didn't have my camera. Well, technically I had my camera... the battery was just dead! But, at least it was on a biscotti recipe. No offense to biscotti... it's just that you can't get all that creative with biscotti, so most pictures will look the same.

This biscotti was good, but not my favorite. I've only had one other type of biscotti (chocolate-walnut) and since I am a chocoholic, it still ranks number one for me. I had two pieces, though, before I packaged up the rest to be sent to my husband in Iraq, and it was yummy!

The Lenox Almond Biscotti was chosen by Gretchen of Canela & Comino and the recipe can be found at her blog. Don't forget to check out the TWD blogroll to see all the wonderful biscotti!

Oh, and a quick note... TWD will only be accepting members until October 31st. So buy the book and come join in on the fun!

Day 19 Part 3 - Recipe 32 "Cookie Carnival"

My name is Cristine and I am a blog-event-aholic. I have joined another group of bakers. I'm pretty sure this will be my last group... for now anyway! Kate at The Clean Plate Club created a group called "Cookie Carnival". Once a month she emails out a cookie recipe and we all make it. Pretty simple! Plus, I like being told what to make! I was that student who loved being told what to write my paper on instead of having to come up with a topic on my own!

It sometimes is so hard for me to decide on something new, especially if that something new is a completely new food for me. Let's throw biscotti in the group with scones. Believe it or not, I have never had biscotti. It just never looked appealing to me. I thought they would be too dry and too crunchy. I would've been perfectly content if I never had biscotti. Until now. Biscotti is AMAZING!!! Sure, it's crunchy, but it's not a traditional cookie. So, if you are from the "soft & chewy" cookie club like me, don't be afraid. Step out of your box and make some biscotti. You'll be glad you did!

The recipe was for Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti, but the commissary didn't have any hazelnuts. I wasn't really in the mood to go searching all over Germany to find hazelnuts, either! I decided to use walnuts instead and boy was it good! I had planned on dipping the ends in white chocolate, but after tasting them I opted to leave them as is. Don't mess with perfection!

Check out The Clean Plate Club at the end of the month for the write up to see what variations others came up with. Thanks, Kate, for a great recipe!

And I apologize for the multiple posts today, but I wanted TWD and Cookie Carnival to be seperate for those who are looking specifically for these posts! :)

Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

1 1/2 cups walnuts
3 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Grind 1/2 cup walnuts in processor. Set aside. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and sugar in another large bowl to blend. Add eggs and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until well blended. Beat in flour mixture. Mix in 1 cup walnuts, chocolate chips and 1/2 cup ground walnuts.

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece on baking sheet into 2 1/2-inch-wide by 14-inch-long log. Place logs on prepared baking sheet, spacing 2 1/2 inches apart (logs will spread during baking). Bake until logs feel firm when tops are gently pressed, about 35 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.

Using long wide spatula, transfer baked logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut warm logs crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on 2 baking sheets. Bake biscotti until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer to racks and cool completely.

Store in airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.