Peppermint Biscotti

 So, I'm looking for something festive to put on this year's Christmas platter and find these terrific Peppermint Biscotti from TOH's 2003 Holiday & Celebrations cookbook!

For some reason I really don't think about eating peppermint during the year, but when Christmas comes up - bring it on!

These biscotti bring out just enough peppermint flavor to be ultra-enjoyable.

I like to just slightly under bake my biscotti a bit on the first bake (instead of 12 minutes, I bake them 11). It makes them a little less crunchy, which I like better.

Baking them a little less, though, will make them a little more fragile. I had to be very careful cutting them and moving them to and from the cookie sheet. We lost five or six of them when they broke, but they're still very edible and delicious.

Be sure and cut these with a very sharp knife and not a serrated knife. You want that great, flat biscotti side we all look for.

I did find that these Peppermint Biscotti are much better after completely cooled. The first one I ate was warm right out of the oven and I thought, 'hmmm, they're OK.'

Then I tasted one completely cooled and couldn't stop eating them. Amazing, light peppermint flavor in a really good crunchy peppermint cookie. Then add on that touch of chocolate and a bit more (but not overpowering) peppermint and you have a great cookie.

I highly recommend these cookies. They're a little messy, so the kids would enjoy helping - especially the part where you roll them in the chocolate.

Use crushed peppermint, Andes mint pieces, or colorful sprinkles on the cookies. Your choice!

More terrific Christmas cookie recipes!

• Italian Sprinkle Cookies (use green and red sprinkles)
• Oatmeal Lace Cookies  (beautiful and delicious cookies)
• Cherry Bell Cookies  (cute and tasty)

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Peppermint Biscotti

Yield: 3 dozen

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Crunchy, tasty cookie filled with peppermint pieces, dipped in chocolate and sprinkled with more peppermint.

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Ingredients

• ¾ C butter, softened
• ¾ C granulated sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 ¼ C all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ C peppermint candy, crushed
• Chocolate Dip:
• 2 C (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoon shortening
• ½ C peppermint candy, crushed (or Andes peppermint bits)

Instructions

1. In a stand mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Add the eggs, one egg at a time to the bowl, mixing well after each egg. Add the extract and mix until combined.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture on low, about 1 cup at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl when needed. Dough will be fairly stiff and slightly sticky.
3. Divide the dough in half. On a large ungreased cookie sheet, form two logs, about 12" long by 2 ½" wide. They will spread on baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Let cool on the cookie sheets for about 5 minutes, then slide a very large spatula under them to loosen them from the sheet. Carefully move them to a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes longer.
5. After slightly cooled, move the logs, one at a time, to a cutting board. Cut them with a very sharp knife, diagonally about ¾" wide. Place the slices, cut side down, back on the ungreased cookie sheet (you can place them close together - they won't spread any more).
6. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until firm. Remove the cookies to the wire rack to cool completely.
7. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and shortening together, in 20 second bursts, stirring between each burst, until smooth.
8. Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate , then roll in the candy. Place each cookie on waxed paper until set.
9. Store leftover cookies in an airtight container.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

Dough will be slightly sticky, so you can lightly flour your hands to mold the dough on the cookie sheets to make it less messy.

I like to slightly under bake mine on the first bake because I like them a little less crunchy.  Your choice.

The easiest way for me to 'dip' the cookies is to just spoon and smooth the chocolate on them.  I don't have a deep enough dish to successfully dip them.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 36 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 154Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 71mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate