Chocolate Chip Peppermint Biscotti

I had a bunch of leftover small candy canes from the holidays, and I was craving a chocolate chip cookie to dip in my coffee, so I decided to combine my two problems into one delicious solution. I came up with a chocolate chip peppermint biscotti. While my recipe does not contain the traditional almond in many biscotti recipes, there's no reason you couldn't add in almonds or any other nuts, like pine nuts, pistachios, or hazelnuts.

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil (or butter, margarine, or vegan butter)

2 tablespoons vegan egg replacer + 6 tablespoons water (or two eggs)

1/4-1/2 cup almond milk (or soy, dairy, etc.)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chips, divided

8 mini candy canes or 1-2 regular-sized candy canes

Note: I'm vegan so I make vegan desserts and use vegan ingredients. If you are not vegan, just use your regular baking ingredients (e.g: egg instead of egg replacer).

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use a silicone baking sheet like I do.

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl until well combined.

In a small bowl, mix the egg replacer with the water and let sit for a couple minutes.

In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and the vegetable oil (or butter) until well combined. Add the egg replacer mixture and vanilla and mix again.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

If the dough is too crumbly, add in almond milk (or soy milk or dairy milk) 1/8 cup at a time until a dough forms. I always end up adding about 1/4 to 1/2 cup, but you may need more or less depending on a myriad of factors, so add only a little at a time.

Finally, add in 1/2 cup chocolate chips and mix until well combined. It's a wet mixture and not very sticky, so the chocolate chips will most likely have trouble adhering to the dough. That's why it's best to only use about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and no more.

Split the dough in half and make two wide, oblong log shapes on the baking sheet. Mine turned out to be about 4 inches by 8 inches or so.

Bake the oblong cookie logs for 30 minutes. Take out of the oven and allow them to cool for 30 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board.

Cut the cookie logs with a serrated knife on a diagonal, making sure each piece is about 3/4" thick.

Transfer the biscotti back to the baking sheet on their sides and bake again for about 13 minutes for a soft cookie-like biscotti and about 18 minutes for a hard, crunchy biscotti that you'll have to dip in coffee to eat. I usually leave mine in for about 15 minutes.

Heat up the rest of your chocolate chips in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring in between. I used vegan chocolate chips for my recipe.

Unwrap several candy canes (I used about 8 mini candy canes), break them up with your fingers, and put the pieces in a plastic baggie (like a sandwich bag). Use a rolling pin to crush the candy cane pieces in even smaller pieces. Transfer the candy cane bits to a small plate.

Spread a bit of melted chocolate on part of the biscotti. Dip into the plate of crushed candy canes. Set aside on a plate so the chocolate can solidify.

These make for a very attractive dessert to give as a gift. You can keep them in a tupperware container and they'll keep for a week or so, especially since they aren't meant to be eaten warm. They're a great breakfast treat and go really well with a morning cup of coffee. Happy baking!