Saturday Baking Day... Biscotti with White Chocolate and Almonds

Poor Silent Bob! His cookie jar has been empty for the past two weeks because I have been feeding him cake. You would think that this is okay, that a trade-off was in play, but no. When the cookie jar is empty, Silent Bob sulks. He passes through the kitchen on his way from doing lumber work to putting a log in the woodstove and rattles the cookie jar lid. Did cookies miraculously appear, I wonder? No, it's just a hint. He mopes as he opens cupboard doors and looks for something sweet, some little something to jump out and into his hand. Nope, nothing there, but rough ingredients. There's always a little half-audible sigh and then he goes for a processed granola bar that is always held in reserve for the hiking backpack. Ahhh... an empty cookie jar is a sad, sad thing!


It's Saturday and I'm feeling sorry for SB ... he's gone out to poke around the back woodlot and throw the Frisbee for Pete, the smart Corgi. I'm thinking I'll surprise him with a full cookie jar of biscotti and a hot pot of tea later this afternoon.

Biscotti with White Chocolate and Almonds - printer friendly

Biscotti with White Chocolate and Almonds

Ingredients:

1 c. almond sliced, toasted
4 eggs
2 c. sugar
1 c. butter, melted and cooled
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
5 c. flour
4 tsp. baking powder
6 oz. white chocolate chopped into chunks (or use good quality chips)

Making the Biscotti:

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy.

2. Add the sugar and continue beating until mixture is light yellow.

3. Add the melted butter and extracts and beat to incorporate.

4. By hand, mix in the baking powder and a couple cups of the flour until smooth.

5. Turn in the rest of the flour and mix to incorporate the flour and make a stiff dough.

6. Fold in the toasted almonds and white chocolate, mixing well to distribute the nuts and sweet stuff throughout the dough.

7. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill for one hour.

8. Pre-heat the oven to 350º F.

9. Divide the dough into six equal balls and then shape into oblong ‘logs’.

10. Place the logs on two large cookie sheets and flatten them slightly.

11. Bake the ‘logs’ for 30 minutes.

12. Remove the ‘logs’ from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 225º F.

13. Cool the biscotti ‘logs’ for about 30 minutes, then use a sharp bread knife to slice the ‘logs’ on the diagonal. Make slices a little over ½-inch thick.

14. Return the slices of biscotti to the cookie sheets and bake at 225º F for another hour.

15. Turn off the oven and leave them in the oven to finish ‘crisping’ – an hour or two will do it.

16. Store closely covered to keep crisp.