Twice-baked


There is nothing like a beautiful Maritime weekend to recharge your batteries.

I spent the better part of Saturday and Sunday outside, reading on the waterfront, drinking coffee in the sun, and wandering about town people-watching and spending some quality squid time. I think all of Halifax had the same idea:  to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather and give one last hurrah to summer before resigning themselves to the damp chill of an East Coast October.

I really don't mind the cold, though, and one of the best parts of the winter months is the abundance of warm, rich foods, the hearty drinks, and of course, the mountains of cookies and baked treats. Biscotti are one of my favorite; not too sweet, chock full of nuts and with an attractive crunch that melts away with a dunk or two into a hot allongé. This recipe yields a cookie that is all of those things, with vibrant, pleasantly bitter espresso flavor offset by creamy bittersweet chocolate and a homey, satisfyingly nutty finish.

Espresso biscotti with pecans, almonds and bittersweet chocolate
Adapted from the Food Network

Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp finely ground espresso
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
-  3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup almonds and/or pecans, toasted and chopped
- 1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Prep time: 20 min
Bake time: 50 min

Yields about 3 dozen cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350F and either line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or butter well and flour. Set 1 tray aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together eggs and vanilla.

3. Add wet mixture to flour mixture and mix using an electric mixer until dough forms.

4. Stir in nuts and chocolate.

5. Roll dough into a ball and separate in half. Roll each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide.

6. Place both logs on a lined tray, about 3 inches apart, and bake for 40 minutes.

7. Remove from oven and let cool slightly. Slice each log diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices, and return to trays, face down.

8. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until biscotti are brown throughout, and remove from oven. Let cool completely; store in an airtight container.


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