When Don and I first married we made a commitment to one another, not just about us ... but our children. We would bring them together and create new traditions to make our two families "one".
You never know how or when traditions happen, sometimes they take you by surprise. Biscotti making was one of those surprises! A good friend, Pam, from Atlanta came to visit in December the first year the girls and I moved to New England. She wanted to do something to bring the girls (Erin, Callie and Sammy) together ... unfortunately this didn't involve Christopher, but he was fine with that!! She taught us how to make biscotti. So that year it seemed natural for us to just use the biscotti for teacher gifts. 8 years later, we are still making biscotti for not only teachers, but those we love and want to say thank you to ... for being in our lives!
Here's how it all begins:
We make half peanut butter and chocolate chip and the other half white chocolate chip and Craisins!
Once they have cooked, you cut them and bake on each side for another 10 minutes to get crispy!
Once they have cooled, dip them in either milk or white chocolate.
We bag them up in cellophane bags and get them ready for delivery!
Each year the process has become sort of a rite of passage of Christmas week ... it is hectic, we can't believe we spend a whole day making these ... but we wouldn't have it any other way!
Biscotti Recipe:
2 ½ C All Purpose Flour (sifted)
1 tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Salt
1 C Sugar
½ C (1 stick) Unsalted Butter @ room temperature
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Bag of Nestle Chocolate/Peanut Butter Chips or
1 C of each, Craisins and White Chocolate Chips
Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl, whisk to blend.
Using electic mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and vanilla extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then fruit, chips, etc. Mixture will be dry.
Divide dough in 2 logs using floured hands, shape each piece. Transfer logs to baking sheet. Bake approx. 30 minutes. Cut logs into biscotti pieces, turn on their side and reduce oven to 275 – bake for 10 minutes. Turn biscotti on other side and bake 10 more minutes.
Let cool.
Dip White Chocolate and Craisin biscotti in white chocolate. Dip Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip biscotti in milk chocolate. Put in refrigerator to let harden.
Enjoy!
I hope you are celebrating the traditions of your family this week!
xo,
kim
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