Holiday Cookies 2011: Peppermint Chocolate Chip Biscotti, Dairy and Nut Free

Ovens all over the Island are working overtime to get all those Holiday Cookies done in time. This time of the year just wouldn't be the same without cookies! Biscotti are an Italian tradition in my family. One of my favorite biscotti recipes comes from Giada De Laurentiis. It's a great starting point to create your very own biscotti creations. I find her recipe very similar to my great-grandmother's. This year, I've merged two of our favorites, candy canes and chocolate chips, and with a few alterations, created Peppermint Chocolate Chip Biscotti that are dairy and nut free. You can make these gluten free by using your favorite gluten free flour.

Makes about 24 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose organic flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup sugar (I use organic evaporated cane juice from )
1/2 cup, or 1 stick of Earth Balance dairy free (I get this at
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest from a Meyers lemon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs (I use free range, hormone free)
3/4 cup ground candy canes (doesn't have to be exact amount)
2/3 cup chocolate chips (Enjoy Life or other dairy free brand)
powdered sugar and some extra flour for flouring the baking sheet (to ease forming log)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 

Line a heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop a little spoonful of extra flour and some extra powdered sugar for flouring your dough. This makes it easier to work with as the dough will be sticky. Using a combo of flour and powdered sugar helps the dough to not get too dry.

Whisk or sift the flour and baking powder in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat the sugar, Earth Balance, lemon zest, and salt until combined. Beat in the eggs. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended.

I used my Vitamix to chop the candy canes into a powder. You can also fill the unwrapped candy canes in a zip bag and hit with a mallet until well pulverized. Stir in the candy canes and chocolate chips by hand.

Place dough on top of baking sheet, pre lined with parchment paper and a little pile of flour and powdered sugar. Form the dough into a 13-inch long, 3-inch wide log on the prepared baking sheet. The dough will be sticky. I often spray my hands with cooking spray. Work the dough into your little pile of flour/powdered sugar, using the parchment paper to help you fold the dough into the flour. The dough will become easier to handle so you can form it into a log.

Bake until light golden, about 40 minutes. Cool for 30 minutes.
  
Place the log on the cutting board. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2 to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the biscotti, cut side down, on the baking sheet. Bake the biscotti until they are pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to a rack and cool completely.
 
Biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

Check out http://bfffoodproject.blogspot.com/ for other recipes, including my other Holiday Cookie recipe for this year: Chewy Chocolate Cookies: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Nut Free

Enjoy!