Every year my work bakes cookie boxes to give to our best clients. This year I am in charge of baking all of the cookies to fill the boxes. It came to a grand total of some 450 cookies! My mom offered to help out and of course I said yes. Can’t resist an afternoon baking with my mom and I really can’t resist help with baking that many cookies!
We made 2 kinds of cookies starting with Chocolate Biscotti with Cranberries. Yummy!
Chocolate Biscotti With Cranberries
:: ingredients ::
1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chocolate chips (white chocolate chips make them even more magnificent!)
:: directions ::
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in center of oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add the eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Add to the butter mixture and beat. Stir in the dried cranberries and chocolate chips.
Transfer the dough to a floured surface and divide it in half. Form each half into a log 10 inches long. Do this by rolling the dough back and forth into a cylinder shape with floured hands. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them well apart (width-wise), and pat to even the shapes. Bake until firm to the touch, about 25 – 30 minutes (logs will spread during baking). Remove from the oven, place on a wire rack, and let cool for about 10 minutes.
Using a long spatula transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into slices about 3/4 inch (2 cm) thick on the diagonal. Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake on about 8 – 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 8 – 10 minutes longer. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
Makes about 24 – 30
:: Look at all the ingredients – for all the 450 cookies mind you ::
:: The uncooked biscotti logs ::
The best part about baking for others – I get to do some baking (which I love) without the temptation of having sweets in the house. Plus, one or two cookies never killed a girl, but 450 might!
Consider yourself warned though – these are not cookies you just whip together in a pinch. They are delicate and time-consuming, but oh-so-tasty and always a huge crowd pleaser!
We had a blast baking together (my mom and I) and it put me in the holiday spirit (even more than I was before!), although I probably will not want to eat any more of these cookies for a long while.
The second cookie recipe coming tomorrow!
:: Thanks ::
KayleeAnn
