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Holiday Biscotti Bar: Dip and Decorate Your Own Biscotti. Choose some chocolates, choose some sprinkles, and be prepared to have a blast decorating biscotti for your Christmas or Holiday tins!

"Plain Jane" Biscotti for Holiday Biscotti Bar

Closely adapted from King Arthur Flour. I made a triple batch of this recipe since the cookies will keep well in tins and the Holiday Biscotti Bar is enough effort that I wanted to not run out of cookies. I recommend you at least double the recipe. The biscotti can be made the day before.
Course Dessert
Cuisine Cookies
Author TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

  • For the biscotti:
  • 6 T unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 t vanilla extract
  • 2 cups (252 g) AP Flour
  • 3/4 t salt
  • 1 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1 T heaping shaved cocoa beans or 2 T cacao nibs, optional (see notes above)
  • For the Holiday Biscotti Bar:
  • Holiday themed sprinkles, at least 4-5 different kinds
  • Chopped candy canes, optional (we used)
  • 12 oz minimum chocolate, chopped (if you use more than one kind of chocolate just use 6 oz of each), with more in reserve in case you need it
  • 1/2 T shortening, optional, if you use a good quality white chocolate with real cocoa butter, they often can be almost too thick to stir and the melted shortening will help loosen it

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
  2. Beat the butter until creamy, and then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat to incorporate after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat in the vanilla. The mixture will look a little curdled now but that is fine.
  4. While the mixer is running, measure the flour into a large bowl. Add the salt, baking powder and shaved cocoa beans or cacao nibs if using. Whisk thoroughly.
  5. Add the flour mixture in 2 additions and mix on the lowest speed to combine. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl.
  6. Prepare a cookie sheet by lining it with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
  7. Stir the dough such that it forms a sticky ball in the bowl, and then scrape that ball onto the center of the cookie sheet. With damp hands, shape the ball into a log. You want the log to be 3-4 inches wide and nearly as long as the pan. The wider the log, the longer the biscotti will be for dipping.
  8. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the log is risen and set and just turning golden.
  9. Let the log cool completely. This biscotti slices nicely--I did not wait overnight as I often do.
  10. Now preheat the oven to 300 F. Slice the biscotti about 1/2-inch thick (I rarely get this perfect).
  11. Place the biscotti upright back onto the cookie sheet with a little space between them to allow for air circulation. A few of my biscotti toppled over, so I flipped them over halfway through the second baking period.
  12. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until they are slightly browning and fragrant.
  13. Let cool completely before dipping and decorating.
  14. For the bar: melt the chocolate(s) until it can be whisked smooth. Keep extra chocolate reserved in case you need more.
  15. Lay out parchment paper for placing the dipped and decorated bisotti onto. It is your preference, but because biscotti are flat, we only decorated one side.
  16. Let the chocolate set completely before moving and storing.
  17. Do not leave dogs unattended near the biscotti on the counter or they may counter surf and steal some.
  18. Have fun!!!!!!!!!