My Recipe Reviews

Recipe Reviews, Recommendations, Tips and Musings. Thanks for visiting!

biscotti

Peppermint Biscotti

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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.

Peppermint Biscotti

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.

Peppermint Biscotti

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!

Peppermint Biscotti on Green Plate

More terrific Christmas cookie recipes!

Peppermint Biscotti on Green Plate with sprinkles

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.

Ingredients

  • 3/4 C butter, softened
  • 3/4 C granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp peppermint extract
  • 3 1/4 C all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 3/4 C peppermint candy, crushed
  • Chocolate Dip:
  • 2 C (12 oz) semisweet chocolate chips or white chocolate chips
  • 2 tbsp shortening
  • 1/2 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 1/2" 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 3/4" 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

© TOH, Paula Marchesi
Category: Breakfast

Chocolate Orange Biscotti

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Chocolate Orange Biscotti

Time to whip out the new and improved Joy of Cooking and get a head start on Fall baking/cooking!

Out of the thousands of recipes in this cookbook, I chose seven to start with. And yes, I flipped through every one of the 1165 pages of this book (and there are no photos!).

There are a lot of recipes I won’t try that have things like squirrel and tripe (yikes), but there are oh, so many more that I will try, like this rich Chocolate Orange Biscotti.

…

Read More

Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Biscotti

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Cinnamon Honey Oats Biscotti

Biscotti is one of my very favorite cookies! I usually prefer a thin, chewy cookie, but after my first biscotti I was hooked. They’re crunchy and so simply flavorful – good alone for a snack or with coffee for breakfast.

Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Biscotti evolved from a simple cinnamon biscotti recipe. It’s been revamped to make a small batch, but you may want to double it because it’s a delicious little cookie.

Cinnamon Honey Oats Biscotti

These Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Biscotti have a deep cinnamon flavor and the honey adds a rich sweetness the way only honey can. I do tend to bake these for a little less than time than the recipe calls for because I like them a little less crunchy than usual.

These biscotti are amazingly good! I particularly like the little extra texture the sliced almonds and oats bring.

The flavor and textures remind me of a cross between a really good cinnamon oatmeal cookie and a fluffy cinnamon scone. I keep imagining raisins sprinkled in there – that would be great!

Lovely, lovely little biscotti (I think there’s a song in there somewhere).

Cinnamon Honey Oats Biscotti

Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Biscotti

Cinnamon Honey Oatmeal Biscotti

Yield: 12 biscotti
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes

Delicious, crunchy, and perfect with coffee or tea.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 C. oats
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1/2 C. slice almonds
  • 1/4 C. butter, softened
  • 1/3 C. packed brown sugar
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 1/4 C. honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Glaze (optional)
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 2 drops almond extract
  • 1 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and almonds.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the sugar and butter together until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.  Beat in the egg until well incorporated, again scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Pour in the honey and vanilla and mix.  Scrape down sides of bowl one more time.
  4. Add the flour, one cup at a time, mixing well until combined.  Pour batter onto the prepared cookie sheet.  Lightly wet your hands and mold the batter into a 10-inch long loaf by about 4 to 5 inches wide, making sure it is even on all sides and smooth on top.  (It will spread when baked.)
  5. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove from the oven.  Turn down oven temperature down to 325°.  Cool on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then gently push the loaf onto a cutting board.  Cut into 3/4" wide slices with a bread knife, minimizing sawing motion so they won't break apart.
  6. Carefully place the slices standing upright back onto the parchment paper-covered pan and put back into the oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and immediately transfer the cookies to a rack to cool.  Cool completely before drizzling with glaze.
  7. For the glaze:  mix together the powdered sugar, almond extract, and milk until smooth and the consistency you like.  Drizzle over the cooled biscotti and let firm up before serving.  

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The dough is very sticky.  Be sure and wet your hands before molding the biscotti loaf.

After I glazed the biscotti, I sprinkled a few teaspoons of toasted oatmeal over the tops.  That's purely optional if you like the look.  Good either way!

The original recipe called for pecans.  I prefer it with the sliced almonds.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 196Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 125mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 4g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Cookies

Glazed Lemon-Almond Biscotti

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I was looking for something to make that was snack worthy – crunchy and tasty finger food. This Glazed Lemon-Almond Biscotti is crunchy and tasty, so biscotti it is!

Biscotti is an Italian biscuit, also called cantuccini, that is traditionally almond flavored and is dunked in a hot drink, like hot tea or coffee.

I’ve found some biscotti to be tooth-breakingly hard, which isn’t very pleasant, but these have a great texture. Crunchy, but in a fresh and good way.

I previously made Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot, which seems to me to be a little softer in texture. If you don’t like that totally crunchy biscotti bite, you might try those and compare.

Those almond and lemon flavors go beautifully together. You can adjust either to your tastes – I tend to go overboard with lemon, but it’s one of my favorite flavors.

This biscuit takes a little time because you bake it, let it cool, then bake it again, so plan on an hour and a half to make them.

You’ll enjoy Glazed Lemon-Almond Biscotti for breakfast or a snack.  Tie a pretty ribbon around a bundle of these, put in a cute basket with flavored coffees and give them to special friends.

Glazed Lemon-Almond Biscotti

Glazed Lemon-Almond Biscotti

Yield: 16 - 18
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes

Crunchy, lemony and tasty biscotti!

Ingredients

  • Biscotti
  • 6 tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 C sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/4 tsp almond extract
  • Grated rind of 1 medium lemon
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 C all-purpose flour
  • Glaze
  • 1/2 C confectioners sugar
  • 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2-3 tsp milk

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (or lightly grease).
  2. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, almond extract, lemon rind, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.  Scrape down the sides as needed.  Beat in the lemon juice and eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled - that's okay.  At low speed, add the flour, mixing until smooth.  
  3. The dough will be very sticky and loose.  Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto the prepared baking sheet.  Lightly wet your hands and shape the dough into a log about 13" long x 3" wide and 3/4" thick.  Straighten the log up and smooth its top and sides (again with lightly wet hands).
  4. Bake the dough for 25 minutes.  Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool on the pan for about 30 minutes.  Reduce oven heat to 325°.
  5. Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top.  This will soften the crust just a little bit and make slicing the biscotti much easier.
  6. Wait about 5 minutes, then use a serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2" slices.  As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight down, perpendicular to the pan so it will be even all the way through.
  7. Slightly separate out the cut biscotti (about 1/2" between each) and return them to the oven.  Bake for 30 minutes, until they feel fairly dry and begin to turn golden brown around the edges.  Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
  8. To make the glaze, mix the confectioner's sugar, lemon juice and milk to the desired consistency and drizzle over completely cooled  biscotti. 
  9. Store the biscotti at room temperature, well wrapped for a couple of weeks.  Freezing is OK, too.

Notes

Tips and Stuff:

The dough, as noted, is very sticky - almost a batter.  But if you wet your hands, you can mold it into shape.

Mine were done at 30 minutes.  Don't let them get too browned or they'll be hard.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 5gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 36mgSodium: 130mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 1gSugar: 14gProtein: 3g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© sblades
Category: Cookies

Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot

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Mandlebrot2
We’re members of a local vintage car club (Austin-Healey) and frequently get together with other members for parties or just casual gatherings.  It seems like every time we go to one, I end up begging one of the members, Cyndy, for her recipes!  One time it was a recipe for Sables, a light delicious sugar-type cookie and this time it was for this Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot.

I kept calling it biscotti before getting the actual recipe, but there’s a definite difference in the texture and taste. Both are twice-cooked (actually, three times on this one) and are sliced from small loaves, but the Mandelbrot is denser and not as hard and crunchy as biscotti. I loved it!

Mandelbrot1

Mandelbrodt is a Yiddish word meaning “almond bread” and is traditionally made using almonds, but this one is a little different.

I ended up drizzling a little chocolate over them because what’s not better with a little chocolate drizzle, and it really topped them off nicely. It also fulfilled one of my criterion for sweets – it was fantastic with coffee and got better each day!

Chocolate Chip Mandlebrot

Chocolate Chip Mandelbrot

Yield: 32
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Dense intense flavor, perfect for breakfast, dessert or snacks and is fairly easy to make.  Even Bret liked these!

Ingredients

  • 2 sticks (1/2 lb) butter, softened
  • 1 C sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3 C flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 12 oz mini chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
  2. Cream butter and sugar, then add eggs one at a time.  Mix in vanilla. 
  3. Combine flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and gradually add to creamed mixture, scraping down the sides of the mixing bowl as needed.  Stir in chocolate chips.
  4. With wet hands form 4 loaves as uniformly as possible.  Using 2 ungreased cookie sheets, place two loaves on each sheet lengthwise.  Bake for 16 -17 minutes until the bottom is lightly browned. 
  5. Slice the loaves into about 1 in. wide slices.  Turn the slices on their sides and return to oven for 8 more minutes.  Turn slices over and brown the second side for 5 more minutes.  Watch carefully because the cookies tend to brown quickly.

Notes

Tips and Stuff: 

I used salted butter because that's what I had. 

I didn't have mini chocolate chips, so I finely chopped about 12 oz. of  good bulk milk chocolate that I had.  They weren't as pretty as Cyndy's, but it worked well. 

I melted about 6 oz. of the same chocolate in a double-boiler till smooth, poured it into a zip lock bag, snipped a corner off and drizzled chocolate over the cooled Mandelbrot.

The loaves will be about 1 to 1 1/2 inch high and 8-9 inches long. I experimented and did one pan with parchment paper and one without and found that the pan without parchment paper browned a little better on the bottom.

Don't cut them more than an inch wide or they'll tend to break in half when you turn them on their sides to brown.

These would make great gifts.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 32 Serving Size: 1 cookie
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 16mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 1gSugar: 12gProtein: 2g

Nutrition Values are Approximate

© Cyndy Russell
Category: Cookies