These twice-baked, not-too-crunchy cookies beg to be served with a mug of coffee or hot chocolate.
Candy Cane Biscotti
½ cup butter (1 stick), softened
½ cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
⅔ cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes or starlight mint candies (see note)
Coating Ingredients:
1 (11- or 12-ounce) package white chocolate chips OR 14 ounces almond bark
Red food coloring, optional
¼ teaspoon peppermint extract
Red decorating sugar OR crushed peppermint candy canes or candies, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mat.
Combine butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Add eggs; continue beating until well mixed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour and baking powder; continue beating until well mixed. Stir in crushed candy canes and mix until candy is evenly distributed throughout dough. Dough will be slightly sticky. With lightly floured hands, divide dough in half. Shape each half into a log, about 3 inches by 6 inches. Place shaped dough on prepared baking sheets.
Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until tops are cracked and ends are light brown. Remove from oven; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Cool logs for 10 minutes on cookie sheet.
Carefully remove logs to cutting surface. With a sharp serrated knife, cut each log into ½-inch thick slices. (Discard ends). If knife blade gets sticky, wipe clean with a damp cloth. Arrange slices on same cookie sheets used for first baking, still lined with baking mats or parchment paper, cut-side down. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, flip cookies and bake 6 to 7 minutes more, or until cookies are light golden brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer to cooling rack and cool completely.
To make the coating: In a double boiler over medium-low heat, melt white chocolate or almond bark, stirring frequently. (Alternately, melt white chocolate in the microwave on low power, stirring frequently.) Remove from heat. Stir in food coloring (if using) and peppermint extract.
Dip half of each biscotti into melted coating. Shake excess into pan. Place on wax paper; immediately sprinkle with decorating sugars or crushed candy, if desired. Let sit at room temperature until coating hardens, about 1 hour. Will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Makes 2 to 3 dozen biscotti.
Note: You'll need 10 regular size candy canes or about 30 starlight mints. To crush candy canes or mints, place unwrapped candy in a sealable plastic bag and pound with a meat mallet, hammer or rolling pin.
Recipe adapted from Land O' Lakes.