12 Days of Cookies Day 7: Candy Cane Biscotti

It’s been a while since I’ve participated in the recipe swaps, but this month it is Blogger’s Choice and I signed up right away. I really enjoy getting to try new recipes from the ladies on my chat list. Thanks to Sarah from A Taste of Home Cooking who organizes these swaps. This month I got Laura’s blog Cooking with LT, and I don’t think that I have ever gotten her blog before so it was fun to explore all of her recipes.

I usually don’t choose a cookie or dessert recipe for the swap, since I try to stretch my boundaries a little, but since I am in the middle of my Christmas cookie baking and she had a wonderful Christmas cookie recipe, I decided to make these cookies. I always include some peppermint cookies in my Christmas baking, and I loved the idea of combining candy canes and biscotti. 

These are easy to make; my sister-in-law when she came over to bake and we made these while the other cookie dough was chilling. I hunted around for pre-crushed peppermints, but I couldn’t find them. I had seen them earlier in the season and didn’t buy them! I made two logs and then sliced them. You can make the logs any size that works for you: smaller or larger. I think these turned out just wonderfully, and the peppermint flavor is great. Thanks for such a great recipe Laura!

Candy Cane Biscotti

2-1/2 cups flour

1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

½ cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

3 eggs

2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 tablespoons shortening

Additional crushed peppermint candy canes

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with silicone baking mats.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In a large mixer bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat on medium until light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture; stirring until combined. Add the crushed peppermints and stir on low until incorporated.

Divide the two in two pieces. Shape each piece into a flat log about 3 inches wide by 14 inches long; your log will be about ½” thick. Place one log on each of the prepared baking sheets.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating the pans half way through the baking time. The logs will be lightly brown on the edges and the top of the log may be cracked.

Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and allow the biscotti logs to cool for 10 minutes.

Slice the biscotti diagonally into ½” slices and place them standing up on one of the baking sheets.  Bake the cookies for 12-14 minutes until golden and crisp. Cookies will continue to crisp as they cool. Allow the biscotti to cool on a wire rack.

Combine the white chocolate chips and the shortening in small bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each cooking time, until smooth. Drizzle the white chocolate over the cooled biscotti or dip the biscotti in the white chocolate. Sprinkle with additional crushed peppermints.

Recipe from Cooking with LT