Chocolate Nut Cranberry Espresso Biscotti Food

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Position a rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix together the flour, sugars, espresso powder, baking soda, anise seed, salt and chocolate chunks in a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and stir with a wooden spoon until the dough starts to come together (it will be fairly dry before you knead it). Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough, squeezing it and pressing it against the surface, until you can form it into a ball, 15 to 20 times. Shape the dough into a flat log about 16 inches long and 2 inches wide. Cut the log in half crosswise. Brush the tops with a little bit of water and sprinkle the top and sides with some turbinado sugar.
• Place the logs side by side on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
• Transfer the logs to a cutting board and cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1/2-inch slices. Place the cookies cut-side up on a baking sheet and bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake until golden on the other side, 8 to 10 more minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. The centers will be slightly soft at first, but will crisp up as they cool.

DRIED CRANBERRY AND WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.
• Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer logs to work surface. Discard parchment. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Transfer biscotti to rack.
• Stir chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle chocolate over biscotti. Let stand until chocolate sets, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Freeze in airtight container. Thaw at room temperature.)

DARK-CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper; spray paper lightly with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar and baking powder. Stir in chocolate chips and dried cranberries.
• In medium bowl, beat water, vanilla, egg and egg white with whisk until well blended. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; stir until all dry ingredients are moistened. (Dough will be crumbly.)
• Onto floured surface, carefully turn out crumbly dough; knead until a solid dough forms. Shape dough into 16-inch log; place on cookie sheet. Flatten log until about 1/2 inch thick.
• Bake 25 minutes. Transfer biscotti loaf to cooling rack; cool 10 minutes.
• Cut loaf diagonally into 1-inch slices. Return slices, cut side down, to cookie sheet.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F; bake 10 minutes. Turn slices; bake 10 minutes longer. Place slices on cooling rack; cool completely, about 20 minutes. (Biscotti will harden as they cool.)

CRANBERRY WALNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla; add to dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in walnuts and cranberries (dough will be sticky)., Divide dough in half. On a greased baking sheet, with lightly floured hands, shape each half into a 10x2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. , Carefully remove to wire racks; cool 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a serrated knife into 1-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake 8-10 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool completely., In a microwave, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over biscotti. Let stand until set. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE, ALMOND, AND DRIED CRANBERRY BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Sift first 5 ingredients into large bowl. Whisk eggs and vanilla in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and melted butter into dry ingredients. Stir in cranberries and almonds.
• Turn dough out onto floured surface. Using floured hands, divide dough into 3 equal pieces. Shape each into 8x2x3/4-inch log. Place 2 logs on 1 baking sheet, spacing evenly, and 1 log on second sheet.
• Bake logs 12 minutes. Reverse position of baking sheets. Bake logs until firm and dry to touch, about 12 minutes longer. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
• Transfer logs to work surface. Using serrated knife, cut hot logs diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices, cut side down, on same baking sheets. Bake biscotti until dry and slightly darker, about 10 minutes. Transfer to racks; cool.
• If desired, stir white chocolate in bowl set over saucepan of barely simmering water until smooth. Remove from over water. Dip biscotti 1 at a time into chocolate, holding cookie at angle and coating 1 inch of each. Return to same baking sheets. Chill until chocolate is set, about 20 minutes. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Arrange between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers; store at room temperature.)

CHOCOLATE-PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Place the pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, shaking the baking sheet occasionally, until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Roughly chop, then cool completely.
• In a mixer, beat together the butter, vanilla, salt, eggs and egg yolk. Add the flour, sugar and baking powder and mix on low until a rough dough begins to form. Add the pistachios and chocolate chips and continue to mix. If the dough seems dry, add some cold water a teaspoon at a time. If the dough is too wet, add a pinch of flour.
• Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured cutting board and knead gently to make sure the chocolate chips and pistachios are evenly distributed. Divide the dough in half, and shape each into a 10-by-3-inch log. Place onto one of the prepared baking sheets and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Let the biscotti rest until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
• Slice the logs into 3/4-inch pieces, and arrange them on the baking sheets, cut-side down. Bake until toasted and golden on top, about 25 minutes. Flip them over and continue to bake until dry and just barely golden brown, another 25 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Biscotti will keep in an airtight container for 2 weeks.

CHOCOLATE NUT CRANBERRY ESPRESSO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients (first 7 ingredients listed).
• In a small bowl, whisk egg.
• Add coffee, milk and vanilla.
• Mix well.
• Add egg mixture to dry ingredients.
• If resulting mixture is too dry, add a little more coffee (1/4 tsp at a time).
• Add chips, nuts and cranberries.
• Turn dough onto well-floured board and with floured hands, form into 2 logs, each about 13-14 inches long and 3 1/2 inches wide.
• Bake on greased and floured (or parchment-lined) baking sheet for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from oven (reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees at this point) and let cool for 8 minutes.
• Using serrated knife, cut on a diagonal into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Lay, cut side down, on baking sheet and bake another 6-8 minutes, one side only.
• For a harder biscotti, bake 5 minutes EACH side.

CRANBERRY-WHITE CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in the white chocolate, cranberries, nuts and lemon zest., On a floured surface, divide dough in half. On a greased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12x2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 24-28 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes. , Transfer to a cutting board; cut with a serrated knife into 3/4-in. slices. Place cut side down on greased baking sheets. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until firm and lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool. Store in an airtight container.

CHOCOLATE-ESPRESSO-PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease a large rectangular baking pan with a light coating of olive oil.
• Sift all dry ingredients together.
• In small bowl, dissolve espresso powder in 1/3 cup water.
• Add eggs and olive oil and beat with a whisk until well-combined.
• Pour wet ingredients into dry, add pistachios and (yes, I do this by hand) start mixing the flour gently into the liquids until all the ingredients have been incorporated and you have a malleable dough.
• If the dough is a bit sticky, sprinkle over 1 tablespoonful of flour and turn dough into the flour to coat.
• Knead the flour in.
• The dough should now be malleable without being sticky.
• If it is still sticky, repeat with another tablespoonful of flour.
• Cut dough into 3 equal pieces and shape into logs that are about 12 inches long and 2 ½ inches wide (every person’s logs are slightly different – they will spread while baking so have a good distance between them).
• Bake for 30 minutes.
• The biscotti will have risen only slightly, spread out some, and have a cracked surface.
• Cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• With a serrated bread knife and a straight, downwards motion, cut biscotti at just under ½ inch intervals on the diagonal.
• (this will leave you with 6 not-so-nice-looking end pieces that you can munch on there and then) Place the pieces, cut side down, back in the baking pan.
• Not all the pieces may fit, in which case you’ll have to bake a second pan's worth after the first.
• Staggering two pans is not suggested unless you have a convection oven and can use that feature to make sure there is even heat distributed within the oven.
• Bake 15 minutes, turn pieces over, bake 15 minutes longer.
• Cool completely and keep in an airtight container.

ESPRESSO BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
• Cream together butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder in a separate bowl. Mix dry ingredients into the egg mixture. Stir in the espresso powder, orange zest, chocolate chips, dried apricots, dried cranberries and almonds.
• Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long by 2 inches diameter. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1 inch thickness. Brush the log with egg wash.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are golden and the center is firm, about 35 to 40 minutes. 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.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Bake until they start turning light brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.

CRANBERRY-WALNUT BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Beat sugar, eggs, oil, extracts, and orange zest together in a large bowl.
• Combine flour and baking powder; stir into egg mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in cranberries and walnuts. Divide dough into 2 pieces. Form each piece into a roll the length of your cookie sheet. Use the parchment paper to help flatten the roll to about 1/2-inch thickness.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet to cool onto a wire rack until safe to handle, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Slice rolls crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Place slices back on the cookie sheet, cut-side up, and continue baking until lightly toasted, 5 to 7 minutes per side.