Chocolate Chip Biscotti - 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies, Week 5

Happy Friday everyone!  Here's my cookie for the 5th week of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Cookies.  I have never made biscotti.  What has taken me so long?  These chocolate chip biscotti are awesome.  They are crunchy the way a biscotti should be but not so hard you can't bite into them.  They are full of mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans.  The addition of ground espresso coffee and cinnamon really up the flavor of these biscotti.  Seriously, you don't have to buy them at coffee shops anymore.  Make them yourself and you'll be hooked.  

Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Recipe by Southern Living, America's Best Home Cooking Cookbook

(printable recipe)

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee or espresso granules (I used Cafe Bustelo ground espresso)
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted ( I used pecans)
1 cup semisweet chocolate mini-morsels

Preparation

Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended.

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; add to butter mixture, stirring until blended. Fold in chopped nuts and chocolate morsels.

Divide dough in half, and shape each dough portion into a 13 x 2-inch log on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Pat dough to 1 inch thickness.

Bake at 350° for 23 - 25 minutes or until firm. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Note:  When I tried to move the biscotti dough to the cooling racks they started to break so I left them on the pan to cool and cut them on the baking pan.

Cut each log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion, and place slices, cut side down, on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake slices at 350° for 15 minutes; turn cookies over, and bake 10 - 15 additional minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Mom's Cooking Club Lesson:  Gift/Packaging Idea  -  Place a few chocolate chip biscotti in a holiday treat bag.  Twist tie and attach a wrapped tea bag.  I used the end of a paperclip to poke a hole in the corner of the tea bag.  Thread some ribbon through it to attach to bag.  I picked a cinnamon tea but use any flavor.  Place cookie package in a Christmas mug.  Give to someone special.