Wake up your tastebuds with chocolate chip biscotti and a good cup of coffee

When I was a kid, as I've mentioned before, breakfast did not receive the attention it does today as being the most important meal of the day. At that time, it was simply a way to "break the fast" one had been observing for the previous eight hours while asleep.
While some people at healthy meals of oatmeal or some sort of museli, others piled their plates high with eggs and hunks of meat.
I, on the other hand, preferred biscotti of all sorts with a cup of strong coffee in which to dip them. Some people theorize that this is the reason I am so short. But while I may only be 4'11", I am one of the taller members of my family. Genetics, therefore, are a more likely explanation for my small stature.
That aside, I still love biscotti - thick toasted sweet bread, which are good alone, but fantastic when dipped in coffee.
The Italian equivalent of a"dipping stick" doughnut, biscotti can be enjoyed any time of day. I have a friend who likes them with her afternoon tea and some people just eat them alone as a snack.
Traditionally, they are made with anise and are more of a savory treat, but I like mine sweet. Chocolate throughout or with chocolate chips are my favorites, but I have had some that are orange flavored or cinnamon-y with some raisins or even with crasins.
Get creative and make your favorite - whatever that might be.
Chocolate Chip Biscotti
2 cups of flour
2/3 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, the sugar, the baking soda, the salt and the chocolate chips.
  • Add the eggs and the vanilla, stirring until it's completely blended.
  • Turn the resulting dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 8 to 10 times. 
  • Make the dough into a log about about two inches thick and a foot or so long.
  • Bake the log for 330 minutes at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with oil. onto baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. After you take it from the oven, cool for about 10 minutes.
  • When it's cool enough to handle, use a serrated knif, to saw the log diagonally into slices that are 1/2 an inch or so thick.Put the slices, cut side up, back onto the baking sheet.
  • Reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake for 10 minutes.
  • Turn slices over and bake until both sides are toasted to a beautiful golden brown (about 10 minutes). 
  • The middles will  be softer than the edges when you first take them out of the oven, but they'll get harder as the biscotti cool.
Vegetarian.

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