My 8-year-old is going to be the death of my attempts to eat less sugar. While I’m thrilled about her love of baking, I don’t relish the thought of delivering a massive baby, and my midwives raise a concerned eyebrow at my previous 9 pound baby and current failing of the first gestational diabetes test and refusal to take the second, more accurate one…really, I’d rather not know for sure :)
Thankfully Gemma’s love of baking is balanced by the fact that she’s always preferred savoury over sweet, so the next ream of recipes she has post-it-noted are mainly things like poached eggs, chicken curry, and barbecue chicken. If you have a child who seems even remotely interested in cooking or baking, I highly recommend leaving a couple of cookbooks with plenty of photographs lying around and encourage them to pick just one thing to make…we now have a list of one thing per week for the foreseeable future on the to-try list, and plenty of bonus reading and fraction (and patience) practice :)
But for one who will turn down most cookies or squares, Gemma has always had a weakness for caramel. When she saw these chocolate biscotti covered in crumbled Skor bars, they were an immediate go. Having a second recipe-picker is so fun because I get to step outside my preferences and go-to’s and try something new. Last time we made roll-out shortbread when it wasn’t even Christmas, and this time we tried biscotti, something a soft cookie lover who never drinks coffee never has high on the to-bake list.
Turns out biscotti may be dry and a little crumbly, but you don’t need to dunk it in coffee to appreciate it. I figure sugar in baking is like vitamins in vegetables – the longer you cook it, the more you lose, so the extra cooking time to dry out the biscotti appropriately must pretty much evaporate most of the sugar.
Studies are inconclusive, though, so for now you’ll have to just enjoy an extra piece for me, and send your savoury kid-friendly recipes my way :)
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon instant coffee dissolved in 2 Tablespoons hot water
- ½ cup butter, softened to room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup miniature chocolate chips
- ½ cup toffee bits (such as Skor)
- EGG WASH:
- 1 large egg whisked with 2 Tablespoons cold water
- TOPPING:
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup toffee bits or 2 crumbled Skor chocolate bars
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a large cookie sheet/jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, with an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Add eggs and coffee mixture and beat for an additional minute, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Stir in mini chocolate chips and toffee bits.
- Dump the dough onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet and use your hands to pat it into a rectangle that is about 18 inches long x 3 inches wide. Brush liberally with the egg wash mixture (you won't use it all).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until top looks firm and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10-15 minutes (leave the oven on).
- Once cool enough to touch, lift the parchment paper and carefully transfer the log to a large cutting board. With a serrated knife, cut into about 18 even slices. Transfer the whole works back onto the baking sheet and bake for an additional 10 minutes before removing from the oven to cool completely.
- For the topping, melt the chocolate in the microwave (45 seconds, stir, then do additional 10 second increments if needed, stirring after each). Drizzle chocolate over top of the biscotti and immediately sprinkle with additional toffee bits. Allow chocolate to set before serving.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for 7-10 days (plastic storage containers will cause it to soften slightly, while a glass container will keep it crispier). This can also be frozen for longer storage.
- Adapted from Double Chocolate Toffee Biscotti, p. 92-93 in Butter, by Rosie Daykin, 2013
I love your theories! I also love my girls who enjoy baking frequently, if not for me, then at least for the never ending lunch bags. Melissa even made dinner last week friday and it looked and smelled so good, we were sad that we were going out for dinner and couldn’t partake. Have a good week!
Looks delicious! Great job, Gemma :)