Christmas Peppermint Biscotti!

This is the perfect Christmas season biscotti. Well actually, it would be good anytime but it fits for the Christmas season! I know I am sort of stuck on biscotti but we have had lots of company; its cold; and coffee is the perfect warm drink. Having a festive biscotti with your coffee is fun. However, this biscotti is so good that many will enjoy it as a shortbread type cookie. With the crushed peppermints on the top, it makes a great Christmas type dessert.

For those who are wanting only natural ingredients...I did cheat using peppermint BUT it is made with whole wheat flour, raw sugar and butter. I can't encourage you enough to consider the Bosch flour sifter as an accessory for your Bosch Universal Mixer. The Flour Sifter takes all the bran out of the whole wheat flour which you can use in other recipes later. This finely sifted flour

Peppermint Biscotti
based from "Taste of Home". I did some tweaking! So here is my 'recipe.' :)

3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup raw sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp peppermint extract
3 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour*
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup crushed peppermints candies





FROSTING (optional! The frosting makes it beautiful but this biscotti tastes much like a peppermint shortbread....so good and can stand alone!)
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup crushed peppermint candies

Directions
In a large Bosch Mixer bowl, cream butter and sugar. The Bosch scraper really came in handy with this stage! (Click Here!) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extract.

Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; stir in peppermint candy. Gradually add to creamed mixture, beating until blended (dough will be stiff). It would be good to switch to the Bosch dough hook at this point since the dough is so stiff.

Divide dough in half. On an ungreased baking sheet, shape each portion into a 12-in. x 2-1/2-in. rectangle. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.





Carefully remove to wire racks; cool for 15 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board; cut diagonally with a sharp knife into 1/2-in. slices. Place cut side down on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.





Frosting:
Melt chocolate chips. Drizzle over biscotti; sprinkle with candy. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container. Yield: about 3-1/2 dozen.


Before I mixed my flour in, I sifted my flour with the Bosch flour sifter. I can't tell you how soft and cake flour like this whole wheat flour becomes when sifted. We saved the bran for another baking day. The Bosch flour sifter makes all your pastry goods wonderful!! (Click here!)