Chocolate Dipped Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti Food

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CHERRY-HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in center and 1 rack in top third of oven and preheat to 325°F. Using handheld electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in very large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time just until blended. Mix in orange peel, baking soda and salt. Add 3 cups flour, hazelnuts and dried cherries; stir until well blended. Add 3 cups flour, 1 cup at a time, stirring until well incorporated.
• Transfer dough to floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal pieces. Knead each piece until dough holds together well. Form each piece into 9-inch-long by 3-inch-wide log. Place 2 logs on each of 2 large ungreased baking sheets, spacing about 3 inches apart (logs will spread during baking). Bake until logs are golden and feel firm when tops are gently pressed, switching and rotating baking sheets halfway through baking, about 55 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheets 15 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
• Using long wide spatula, transfer 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 10 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until light golden, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer to racks and cool completely.
• Stir chocolate in large bowl set over saucepan of boiling water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Dip 1 cut side of each biscotti into melted chocolate to about 1/4-inch depth. Gently shake off excess chocolate. Place biscotti, chocolate side up, on baking sheets. Refrigerate until chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes. Dip pastry brush in cocoa, then lightly brush cocoa over chocolate on each biscotti. (Can be made ahead. Store in airtight containers up to 4 days, or wrap in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.)

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a large cookie sheet.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the almond extract. Combine the flour and baking powder; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in candied cherries and mini chocolate chips.
• With lightly floured hands, shape dough into two 10 inch long loaves. Place rolls 5 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheet; flatten each to 3 inch width.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until set and light golden brown. Cool 10 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange slices cut side down on ungreased cookie sheets.
• Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until bottoms begin to brown. Turn, and bake an additional 5 minutes, or until browned and crisp. Cool completely. Melt white chocolate in the microwave, stirring every 20 to 30 seconds until smooth. Drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Store in tightly covered container.

CINNAMON HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into the egg mixture. Stir in the hazelnuts. Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.
• Bake for an additional 10 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CHOCOLATE, HAZELNUT AND GINGER BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift first 5 ingredients into medium bowl. Add 3 eggs and vanilla; beat until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts and crystallized ginger (dough will be firm). Turn dough out onto floured surface. Gather into ball. Divide dough in half. Roll each half into 12-inch-long log. Transfer logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing 3 inches apart. Flatten each to 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Whisk remaining egg in small bowl to blend. Brush logs with some of beaten egg.
• Bake logs until golden and firm to touch, about 35 minutes. Cool logs on baking sheet 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Transfer logs to cutting board. Using serrated knife, cut logs crosswise into scant 1/2-inch-wide slices. Place slices, cut side down, on large baking sheets. Bake until firm, about 15 minutes. Transfer biscotti to racks and cool completely.
• Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler set over barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Place biscotti on rack set over baking sheet. Using spoon, drizzle melted white chocolate decoratively in zigzag pattern over biscotti. Let stand until chocolate is firm. (Can be prepared ahead. Store biscotti in airtight container at room temperature up to 2 weeks or freeze up to 1 month.)

CHOCOLATE-CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flours and salt in a bowl; stir well with a whisk.
• Beat sugar and eggs with a mixer at high speed until thick and pale (about 4 minutes). Add oil and extracts, beating until well-blended. Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in cherries and chocolate chips.
• Divide dough in half; turn out onto a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Shape each portion into a 10-inch-long roll, and flatten to 1-inch thickness. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove rolls from the baking sheet; cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
• Cut each roll diagonally into 20 (1/2-inch) slices. Place slices, cut sides down, on baking sheet. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes. Turn cookies over, and bake an additional 10 minutes (cookies will be slightly soft in center but will harden as they cool). Remove from baking sheet; cool completely on wire rack.

CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CHERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Combine the dry ingredients first: whisking together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.
• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, lemon zest and butter until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until incorporation and scraping down the sides in between.
• Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended, then stir in the cherries and (optional) pistachios.
• Form the dough into 12" long x 3" wide logs on the parchment paper. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until light golden. Cool for 30 minutes.
• Place the log on a cutting board and use a serrated knife to cut diagonally, 1/2"-3/4" slices. Lay the slices on the baking sheet and bake for another 15 minutes, or until they are a pale golden color. While they are cooking, get a pot of water boiling for your double boiler. Cool completely on a wire rack.
• Place the chocolate chips in a small pot set over the pot of simmering water. Stir constantly to avoid burning the chocolate. When the chocolate is completely melted, dip the ends of the biscotti in and set them on a parchment sheet to set. Place all the biscotti in the refrigerator for about a half hour, until the chocolate firms up.
• They can be made ahead, or frozen for up to 3 weeks.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, 1 cup chocolate chunks, and hazelnuts until chocolate and hazelnuts are the size of peas.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whole eggs and granulated sugar until the mixture holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface for a few seconds when you raise the whisk. Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and remaining 1 cup chocolate chunks, and beat until just combined.
• Turn out the dough onto a generously floured work surface, and divide into four equal pieces. Shape each piece into a 10-by-2-inch log. Transfer to prepared baking sheets. Brush off any excess flour. With the palm of your hand, gently press the logs to flatten slightly. Brush egg white over logs. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.
• Bake, rotating halfway through, until logs are just firm to the touch, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer sheets to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes.
• Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Place wire racks on two large rimmed baking sheets. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on the rack. Bake until biscotti are firm to the touch and completely dry, about 20 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on the rack. Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.