These biscotti are great little gifts for friends and family this holiday season.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- white chocolate chips for garnish
- crushed peppermint candy for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl and mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate chips and stir on low speed until just combined.
Dust a work surface with flour. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the sticky dough out onto the work surface and dust the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using your hands, shape the dough into a rough ball (if it’s still too sticky, dust with a bit more flour) and cut in half. Form the dough pieces into two short logs by rolling back and forth. Place the logs onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into longer logs about 3/4-inch high and 2 inches wide. Allow enough space for the logs to spread a few inches while they bake.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until firm to the touch. Let the biscotti logs cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, or until just cool enough to touch. Using a sharp knife, slice the logs on the diagonal into 3/4-inch slices. Turn the biscotti on their sides (so that the cut sides are down) and place back in the oven for 10 minutes to dry and crisp up. Let cool on the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Melt 1 cup of white chocolate pieces in microwave. Start with 30 seconds and stir. Continue to melt at 15-second intervals until melted. White chocolate will burn quickly so be careful. Pour melted chocolate into a quart zip lock baggie and snip one corner with scissors. Drizzle the chocolate over each biscotti. Immediately sprinkle crushed peppermint candies while the chocolate is still warm. Let cool so the chocolate will harden.
Biscotti will last 2 weeks stored in an airtight container.