Biscotti Coffee Food

ESPRESSO & DARK CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Set aside. Put the flour, sugars, baking powder and a good pinch of salt into a large bowl, then stir to combine.
• Whisk the oil, egg, vanilla extract and coffee together in a separate small bowl. Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry, mixing until you have a dry dough. Fold in 100g of the chocolate chips. Knead the dough until smooth - it will be quite dry, but if it's too difficult to knead, add another 1 tbsp water. Divide the dough in half, shaping each piece into a 25 x 8cm log, and transfer both to the prepared tray. Bake for 25-30 mins, then leave to cool on the tray for 15 mins.
• Reduce the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Slice the biscotti logs into 1-2cm-thick slices crosswise using a sharp knife, you should have about 16. Return to the tray and bake for 15-20 mins more, turning the tray around halfway through. Leave to cool slightly on the tray, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Melt the remaining chocolate chips in the microwave in 20-second bursts until smooth, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, then dip one end of the cooled biscotti into the melted chocolate. Transfer to a sheet of baking parchment and leave to set. Will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.

BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Position rack in center of oven. With a small knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place in a small bowl. Add the sugar and use your fingers to mix the vanilla evenly into the sugar. Set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Add the vanilla sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and almonds and stir into the butter mixture.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece of dough into a log that is about 1 1/4 inches in diameter. Place the logs on the baking sheet, spacing them as far apart as possible. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.
• Place the logs on a cutting board and let them cool slightly. With a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. Place on the baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, turning once. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

EASY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, and line a baking tray with baking parchment. Put the flour, sugars, baking powder and a large pinch of salt in a large bowl and stir together.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, vanilla and 3 tbsp hot water. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry until the mixture comes together into a dough. Gently knead the dough until smooth - it will be quite dry, so add another 1 tbsp water if it's too difficult to knead after a few minutes. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shaping each into a 25 x 8cm log. Put the logs on the prepared baking tray and bake for 25-30 mins. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the tray for around 15 mins.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the slightly cooled logs into 1-2cm-thick slices crosswise. Return the biscotti to the lined baking tray and bake for 15-20 mins more (the oven should still be at 180C/160C fan/gas 4), turning the tray around halfway through. Leave to cool slightly on the tray, then transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. If you like, dip one end of each biscotti into some melted chocolate, then leave to set on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Will keep in an airtight container for up to five days.