Welcome to The Cookie Monster, a blog about the most marvelous, versatile, and beloved bakeable item in the land: The cookie. You may see occassional forays into pies, bars, and other sweet treats, but my main focus is and has always been on the bite sized genius behind my very favorite snack. Happy Baking!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Cherry Coconut Biscotti

So As promised after I accidentally deleted my former biscotti pictures, I whipped up a new batch to add to the blog. I've actually pretty pumped about this recipe, because it's all me! I've made biscotti quite a few time, several different recipes, lots of different flavors, but this one I came up with on my own. And I love them. These are great summery/fruity treats. I can't stop eating them.

Ingredients:
2 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp sea salt
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons almond extract
6 tablespoons butter, melted
1 jar marachino cherries, chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut



Mix together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Dig out a little "well" in the flour mixture. This is where you'll tuck the eggs and the almond extract. I think you could even go a bit heavier on the extract. the smell was really intense but I think the final flavor could have been a bit stronger...
Place the eggs, egg yolks and almond extract in your flour well.
Mix up the bowl using your hands until the eggs are well combine and all of the dough is moistened. At this point, add in the melted butter, and mix well until the dough comes together. Then bust out your chopped cherries and coconut.
Add the cherries and coconut to the dough and mix even throughout, using your hands. It gets a little messy, but I have to admit that I love creating things without the help of kitchen electronics. There's something soothing and rewarding about it! And I think it gives the dough a more rustic, "real" texture. So mix baby mix.
Form the dough into two 12 inch logs. Bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 325 for 15 minutes.
Take your logs out of the oven and let them cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes.

Using a serrated knife, cut the logs diagnolly to form your biscotti pieces. Work slowly and delicately, as the dough will be partially raw still.



Place the cut pieces back onto the cookie sheet. You can place them close together, as they won't rise or spread anymore at this point. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.

When your timer goes off, take the cookies out of the oven and flip them. At this point they will start to develop that nice rich dark biscotti golden color.
Bake for 10 more minutes. The smaller pieces of biscotti may look a little on the burnt side. don't be alarmed. they're still delicious.

I think these would be even more delish with a white chocolate drizzle. Or you could half-dip them in white chocolate and then sprinkle them with more coconut. The possibilities are endless.
And Enjoy! Although these take a little more time because of the triple baking, they are really yummy, they keep well, and people will probably be impressed that you can make biscotti from scratch. Give it a shot!

Happy Baking!

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