Peppermint Biscotti

Peppermint Biscotti

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons peppermint extract
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed peppermint candies

Frosting:
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Beat in extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in peppermint candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff).

Divide dough in half.
On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle.

Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm.

Remove to wire racks to cool. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate chips and shortening; stir until smooth. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with candy. Place on waxed paper until set.

Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.

12 days of Christmas cookies Day 9: Italian Anise Cookies

These cookies remind me of Christmas at my Grandma's house, these were always on a cookie platter that one of her friends would bring over along with the home made chocolates and peanut butter cups.

Italian Anise Cookies

Cookie:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons anise extract (or almond extract)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (may need up to 3 cups)
1 tablespoon baking powder
2-3 tablespoons milk

Icing:

2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon anise extract
food coloring
decorative candy sprinkles


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

For cookies, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add anise extract.

Blend flour and baking powder. Start by adding about 1/3 of these dry ingredients to the butter/sugar in your mixer, then add 1 T. milk. Add another third of the flour and another 1 T. milk. Finally, mix in enough of the remaining flour until your dough is like a brownie batter (it should be softer than a drop cookie dough).

Use a 1 T. cookie scooper to make simple round drop cookies - use wet fingers to pat any rough edges OR for an Easter-Egg look, roll 1 T. dough into an elongated ball.

Bake cookies 10-12 minutes (they won't be brown but the insides will be soft and cake-like).

For icing: mix sugar, milk and extract to make a sugar glaze.

HINT: When I make the icing, I make it thick but then I microwave it for 10 seconds so it is thin enough for dipping. Also, I like to divide the mixture in thirds, and then add ONE DROP of food coloring to each batch.

Hold cookie in your hand and turn upside down so you can dip the top half in the glaze; turn over and immediately top with sprinkles so they will stick.

Allow icing to harden overnight; then store in air-tight containers or freeze.

12 days of Christmas cookies Day 8: Thumbprint Cookies

I was a bit of a slacker over the weekend when it came down to blog posting, Christmas Shopping, Futon building (then taking apart because there was a broken piece, hauling it back to Ikea and building yet another, more complicated better one) took my WHOLE weekend up.

But have no fear (LOL) I’ve got more cookie recipes coming up for the last couple of days here.

Thumbprint cookies:

1 cup finely chopped almonds
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
3/4 cup powdered sugar, plus
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
jam or fruit preserves


Lightly toast then cool nuts; chop until very fine and set aside ~ If using a food processor for chopping, allow nuts to cool very thoroughly before chopping them in order to avoid turning them into a paste.

Cream butter and sugar for 3-4 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment until extra light-colored and fluffy; stir in vanilla.

Whisk together dry ingredients; add gradually to butter mixture, stirring just until (do not overmix) dough comes together; stir in chopped nuts.

Chill dough if it seems too soft.

Form dough into 1 1/4" balls and place onto parchment-lined or ungreased baking sheets; indent the top of each ball of dough with your fingertip or with the dampened end of a wooden spoon.
Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or just until the cookies start to turn light golden-brown at the edges; remove from oven and sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar; fill each indentation with a bit of jam or fruit preserves ~ I like to use red raspberry preserves.

NOTES: Yield becomes 60 cookies when dough is formed into 1" dough balls. And any type of toasted and chopped nuts may be substituted for the almonds.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies, day 7 Drop Sugar Cookies

When you want sugar cookies but you're not in the mood to roll & cut the dough, don't have the time or you want to just decorate some sugar cookies with the little ones, this is the recipe you're going to go for over and over again.

Drop Sugar Cookies

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup Crisco




Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sift dry ingredients, all except sugar, together.

Cream margarine, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.

Add egg and vanilla.

Beat in dry ingredients until smooth.

Blend in milk.

Drop by tablespoon about 3 inches apart onto a greased cookie sheet.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.

12 Days of Christmas Cookies, day 6 Florentine Lace cookies

These are always a hit, they're delicate and fairly easy to make, they bake up quickly and if you work fast enough you can mold them into curls, cones or by placing over a small fingertip bowl you can make little cookie bowls. These cookies can be left plain or sandwiched together with chocolate.

Florentine Lace cookies


Dough 2/3 cup butter
2 cups quick oats, uncooked
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling

2 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


Melt butter in medium saucepan.


Remove from heat.


Stir in oats, sugar, flour, corn syrup, milk, vanilla and salt. Mix well.


Cover cookie sheets with foil.


Place small drops (about 1 teaspoon) of batter onto the foil. Leave about 3 inches between cookies. Using a spatula, flatten each drop and mold into a flat round shape using the sides of the spatula. Warning: these cookies will expand horizontally a lot! Make sure you leave plenty of room between cookies.


Bake for approximately 7 minutes or until edges are golden brown.


Let each sheet of cookies cool completely, approximately 15 minutes.


Peel foil away from cookies.


For the filling, combine chocolate, cream and vanilla and melt over a double boiler until completely blended.


To assemble, spread a layer of chocolate on the flat, shiny side of each cookie. Pair the cookie with alternate cookie of equal size and press together. Allow assembled cookies to cool completely.