Candy Cane Biscotti - Everyday Annie

Biscotti are an ideal treat to include in holiday gift packages because they are easy to make, keep very well, and are the perfect thing for recipients to enjoy with their bags of homemade hot chocolate mix. Last year I did chocolate and gingerbread biscotti which were great, but I’m always excited to try a new flavor. Now as regular readers know from my post on peppermint mocha cupcakes, I am not a peppermint (or mint) lover…so I’m breaking my own rule here and blogging about something I didn’t taste. I think it’s alright though, because I’ve heard so many rave reviews about these that I’m sure normal people will love them. It’s a basic biscotti dough with chopped up candy canes mixed in, then topped with white chocolate and more crushed candy canes. They look so fun and festive.

Normally I make my biscotti quite a bit larger, but I made the first couple of batches in the normal size and they just seemed way too big. Probably because of the numerous other treats going in the packages (or maybe the peppermint smell was getting to me). Whatever the case, I followed the size indicated in the recipe the second time around and made them on the smaller side. I actually think the small size is better for gift-giving, so I’ll continue to make these as mini biscotti in the future. Enjoy!

Looking for more flavors of biscotti? Try these:
Orange Cranberry White Chocolate Biscotti
Banana Biscotti
Almond Biscotti
Coconut Biscotti

Ingredients

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup sugar
3 large eggs
2/3 cup finely chopped peppermint candies, plus extra for garnish
14 oz. white chocolate

Directions

01
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat.
02
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir briefly with a fork to combine. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs one a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Fold in the 2/3 cup crushed peppermints with a rubber spatula until evenly incorporated.
03
Evenly divide the dough into 4 portions. Form each into a 9″ by 1½” log on the prepared baking sheet, spaced evenly. Bake until the cookies are light golden brown on top, about 18-20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes on the cookie sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 325° F.
04
After the logs have cooled for 10 minutes, use a sharp serrated knife to cut the logs into ½-inch slices on the diagonal. Arrange the cut pieces on the baking sheet, laying on one of their cut sides so one cut side is facing up. Bake for 15 minutes more, until the cookies are light golden brown and crisp. (They may seem a bit soft, but will firm as they cool.) Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
05
Once the biscotti have cooled, melt the white chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Dip one half of each cookie in the chocolate, shake gently to remove the excess, and transfer to a baking sheet or work surface lined with wax paper. Sprinkle with extra crushed candy canes while the chocolate is still wet. Let stand at room temperature until the chocolate has set completely. Store in an airtight container.

Source

adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from Land O Lakes