Let the baking begin!

Cookie baking is a long tradition in our home.  While I always made some cookies, it was Victor who elevated it to a mass-production art-form.  I had a couple of family favorites – he had dozens. The cookie baking just kept growing and growing and growing until a couple of years ago, we decided it was time to scale back and concentrate on just a few favorites.  We’re back to having a lot of fun with it.

So… even though we’re cutting back – or, at least, we’re pretending we’re cutting back – we always seem to find the time to make something new. My new one this year is a chocolate peppermint biscotti.

I usually leave the biscotti to Victor because he makes them so good I don’t bother, but I had an idea for a chocolate peppermint version and decided to give it a go.

I’m glad I did.  It worked well.  Really well.

I used a chopped chocolate peppermint bark for the peppermint candy. Ghirardelli has a peppermint bark square that should be fairly readily available in most places, but it’s also really easy to make – and just use the scrap pieces for the biscotti.

I also used a chopped up 72% chocolate to cut the peppermint – and added Jim Beam and no vanilla!

I think I may dip them in white chocolate – maybe half white, half dark.  I dunno. I’ll play and see what I like best.

Chocolate Peppermint Biscotti

• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cube (stick) butter
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 tbsp bourbon
• 1 cup chopped peppermint bark
• 1 cup chopped dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350°.

Sift together dry ingredients.  Cream sugar and butter, add eggs one at a time. Add bourbon.

Mix in flour.  Mix in peppermint bark and chocolate.

Divide dough in half.  With floured hands, shape into logs.  Place on parchment-lined cookie sheets and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool completely.  Slice into 1/4 to 1/2″ slices and toast on both sides in 350° oven for another 20 or so minutes.