Cinnamon and Toasted Nut Biscotti

I have been wanting to make biscotti since well before Christmas. I had origianlly intended to make peppermint biscotti drizzled with chocolate and package with hot cocoa mixes to give as gifts. Well, somehow time got away from me and I never go around to making the biscotti and went with plan B for gifts.

I decided this was the weekend to try my hand at some biscotti but decided to try a cinnamon nut version since I feel peppermint season has past me by.   I did some searching and  found this recipe on allrecipes. I did adapted it a bit to suit my tastes and the ingredients I had on hand.

This recipe came together much quicker than I had planned despite needing to bake it twice. Infact  these only took me about an hour start to finish. I had always thought it would take me hours from start to finish, that is partly why I never got around to making biscotti before Christmas. Let me tell ya, I don’t know why haven’t made biscotti sooner! I loved this recipe.

The smell of the toasted nuts and cinnamon permiated my kitchen and tempted my tastebuds while the logs of dough were baking. It took all of my willpower not to eat one of the biscotti before the second baking.

I couldn’t be more pleased with these. They baked up nice and crisp with a golden brown exterior. They have a delicate cinnamon flavor that is enhanced nicely buy thte flavor of the  toasted nuts. Usually I do not care for crispy cookies but these are a true winner in my book. I can’t wait to make them again.

I rate this recipe a 9

Cinnamon and Toasted Nut Biscotti
adapted from allrecipes
3/4 cup butter
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped macadamia nuts,  toasted
1/4 cup chopped almonds,  toasted
1 cup Cinnamon Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Evenly spread nuts over baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven about 10-15 minutes stirring every 5 minutes until evenly toasted and fragrant.
Remove from sheet and allow to cool.

In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Add to the batter and mix until almost combined. Gently fold in the nuts and cinnamon chips.  

Shape dough into two equal logs approximately 12 inches long. Place logs on baking sheet, and flatten out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Be sure to leave enough room for them to spread out slightly. (I baked mine side by side on two pans, rotating half way through baking)

Bake for about 30 minutes in preheated oven, or until edges are golden and the center is firm. Remove from oven to cool on the pans. When loaves are cool enough to handle, use a serrated knife to slice the loaves diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices. Return the slices to the baking sheet.

Bake for an additional 10 minutes, turning over once. Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room temperature.