SOME GRANDMA's CHOCOLATE CHIP BISCOTTI

"Biscotti," is Italian for "Twice Baked." And there you go, thats the recipe :)

Haha. I imagine someone's grandma in Italy is putting these out with some espresso or "demitasse" as it was called in our house growing up. I had to google demitasse to learn it's the French word for "half-cup." Have to love Italians using a French word - mind blown. I don't even know if my childhood was real now.

Ingredients

Makes at least (2) dozen, I tend to cut them thinner these days, so get more out of them.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 3/4 cup sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

• 2 large eggs

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Flavor Variations:

• Chocolate Orange - add 2 tsp Orange Extract in when beating eggs and stir in 1 cup diced candied orange peel

• Matcha - stir in 2 TBLS of matcha powder with dry ingredients

• Super Italian with Anise - 1 teaspoon ground anise seed added w/ dry ingredients

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or use silicone mat (Silpat,etc). In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the sugar and butter in a large bowl to blend. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time. Add the flour mixture and beat just until blended. Stir in the chocolate chips.

3. Form the dough into (2) horizontal logs on baking sheet - around 16" long and 2"-3" wide. I tend to form into log on baking sheet, then roll a bit with hands to form log. Spreading out till you get desired length. These tend to puff a bit and widen as they bake. So think about flatting the log a bit if you want that type of biscotti. Get wild haha.

4. Bake until light golden, about 30 minutes. Cool 30 minutes.

5. Place the logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log on a diagonal into 1/2- to 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange the cookies cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake the cookies until pale golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a rack and cool completely.

MANDEL BREAD (ALMOND BREAD = BISCOTTI)

Biscotti literally means “twice-baked.” When I think of Biscotti, I think ITALIAN. The word is sacred to Italians, they own biscotti and no one should even attempt to compete with them. However, the Jewish have their own version of Biscotti that is up for the challenge. These cookies are called Mandel Brodt, which translates to Almond Bread. A very traditional Jewish cookie that is cooked in the same fashion as an Italian Biscotti and if one didn’t know any better, you could easily confuse the two. 

My mom has been making these for over 20 years and she was given the recipe from one of our Russian neighbors. We don’t exactly know where this recipe originated and if she added a Russian flare to these, but who cares, they’re delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 3 cups flour

• 1 cup sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup slivered almonds

• cinnamon, sugar (they sell this pre-mixed, but you can easily make your own by mixing 1/2 cup sugar with 1.5 TBLS cinnamon)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, blend the vegetable oil and the sugar together with a hand mixer.

Crack the eggs into a bowl or measuring cup and then add the eggs one at a time to the bowl, blend well. Add vanilla to the bowl and also all of the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking powder). Mix well.

Add in the slivered almonds and mix well until fully incorporated. Place 4 globs on 2 cookie sheets and shape like a loaf with wet hands (makes it easier to spread without sticking to your hands or the pan)

Sprinkle loafs generously with cinnamon sugar mixture

Bake at 350° 20-25 mins. When golden cut into biscotti and turn on side sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake additional 10 mins. Then turn over on other side, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar and bake additional 10 mins.

Cool on a wire rack and enjoy.