my mocha biscotti

This Christmas, my mom made biscotti for the celebration.  Her recipe was delicious also.  You can find it here, Chocolate Chip Biscotti, (she omitted the hazelnuts, because of food allergies).  I admit, I am not a ‘fruit with my chocolate’ kind of person, but this biscotti was really good. 

Tonight, I wanted to make some biscotti for a friend’s birthday, so I checked out the Betty Crocker website and found this one for Mocha Biscotti. 

I altered it a bit, here is my version: 

Ingredients for Biscotti :

• 2 tbsp. instant espresso or coffee crystals, (I used 2 packs of Starbucks Instant Brew.  One Colombian flavored & the other Italian Roast…that was all I had on hand…it could easily use 1 or 2 more.)
• 2 tsp. hot water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, slightly chopped (The recipe called for 1/2 cup semisweet bakingchocolate.  To tell you the truth, I didn’t even notice that it said baking chocolate until right now, as I type the recipe…lol…that’s why I used chips.)
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted & chopped (I omitted these because of food allergies.  Instead, I substituted about 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips…there can never be too much chocolate!)
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Ingredients for Chocolate Drizzle :

• 3 oz. semisweet baking chocolate, (I used some semisweet chocolate chips)
• 1/2 tsp. shortening

Directions :

1. Heat oven to 350′.
2. Dissolve coffee crystals in hot water.  In a large bowl, beat sugar, butter, vanilla, eggs and coffee with electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with spoon.  Stir in all remaining Biscotti ingredients.
3. Shape half of dough at a time into rectangle, 10 x 3 inches, on ungreased cookie sheet.  (I always use my Pampered Chef baking stones.  I also covered it with parchment paper this time.)  Bake about 30 minutes or until center is firm to the touch.  Cool on stone 15 minutes.
4. Cut crosswise into 1/2inch slices.  Place slices, cut sides down, on stone.  Bake about 15 minutes, turning once, until crisp and edges are light brown.  Immediately remove from stone to wire rack.  Cool completely.  (Because I’m impatient, I proceeded to the chocolate drizzle as soon as they were moved to the wire rack.)
5. In 1-quart saucepan, heat all Chocolate Drizzle ingredients over low heat, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth.  Drizzle chocolate over one side of each biscotti.  Let stand until chocolate is set.

*Recipe claims to make 3 1/2 dozen.  I must slice them extremely large because my recipe only produced about 16.  I could slice them in half, but I’m giving them as a gift and I want them to be large and pretty. 

*This recipe was made nut-free by omitting the almonds and checking all ingredients for allergens. 

*Nutritional values are on the Betty Crocker website. 

I haven’t been on the treadmill since my bout with the stomach flu, but chilly weather makes me want to bake, so I better get back on it!