cookies

Amaretto Biscotti

March 1, 2019 by Marisa 13 Comments

Delightfully tender and crumbly, these Amaretto Biscotti are chock full of roasted almonds, chocolate coated almonds and drizzled with more chocolate.

This Amaretto Biscotti post was originally published January 12, 2015 and republished March 1, 2019 with updated photos and content.

I have a love affair with biscotti! My guilty pleasure! Well…one of them, I may have a few more.

This Italian, twice baked cookie is very popular in coffee shops.

Why buy them though, when you can just as easily make your own! They’ll be far more superior to the store bought ones.

I always feature at least one flavour on my sweet table or cookie platter during the holidays. But then again, I really don’t need much of an excuse to bake them any time of the year.

Nowadays I much prefer one flavour of biscotti or another rather then a chocolate chip cookie.

They’re really not complicated to make at all and perfect for beginners.

You can slice and bake them into long and elegant shapes or shape, slice and bake them into mini morsels as I have done with this recipe.

Unlike some rock hard biscotti which require dunking in milk, coffee or even wine, these are made with butter and have a more tender bite but still remain crunchy.

They’re simply wonderful all on their own.

However, a light drizzle of both the dark and white chocolate adds an extravagant touch of elegance.

Brew a fresh cup of coffee and enjoy one of life’s simple pleasures.

TIPS FOR PERFECT AMARETTO BISCOTTI

First off, I prefer to roughly chop the both the almonds and the chocolate covered almonds. This allows far easier slicing with cleaner cuts.

After the initial first bake do allow the biscotti logs to cool for about 10 minutes for easy slicing. This makes the biscotti more pliable to a sharp knife.

Make sure you’re on a steady cutting board. With the tip of the knife pointed downwards, slice at a diagonal in one fluid motion.

I prefer to stand the biscotti slices upright for the second bake. This allows them to crisp on both sides without having to turn them over and risking breakage.

Allow the biscotti to cool completely before drizzling them with the melted chocolate. This helps the chocolate set much quicker. However, you can just as easily place the chocolate drizzled biscotti tray in the fridge if pressed for time.

They’re at their best stored in an air tight container for about one week and freeze well.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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2.15 from 14 votes

Amaretto Biscotti

Delightfully tender and crumbly, these Amaretto Biscotti are chock full of roasted almonds, chocolate coated almonds and drizzled with more chocolate.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Amaretto Biscotti

Servings: mini biscotti

Ingredients

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup roasted almonds roughly chopped
1 cup chocolate covered almonds roughly chopped
1/4 cup white chocolate chopped
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Lina a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar on medium high speed with an electric mixer until fluffy and light in colour. For about 2 minutes or so.
Beat in the eggs, amaretto liqueur, almond and vanilla extracts until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, add in the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
Stir in both the roasted almonds and the chocolate covered almonds.
On a lightly floured surface divide the biscotti dough in four equal portions.
With lightly dusted hands, roll each portion into a 12 inch log and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 20 minutes. The logs will be a light golden colour with firm tops.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.
Once cooled, slice each log crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces.
Place upright on the baking sheet and return to the oven for the second bake.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool before drizzling with the melted chocolate.
Place both chocolates into 2 small separate bowls and melt in the microwave at 20 second intervals.
If your chocolate is too thick for drizzling, simply stir in a little vegetable oil to thin it out to a drizzling consistency.
Using a small spoon drizzle first the dark chocolate over the sliced biscotti and then the white chocolate.
Let the chocolate set before serving.
I leave the biscotti on the cookie sheet at room temperature to set.
However if your pressed for time you can place the cookie sheet with the biscotti in the fridge to set much quicker.

Notes

Adapted from The food Network Magazine.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

January 31, 2019 by Marisa 15 Comments

When it comes to decadent cookies these Triple Chocolate Cookies certainly fit the bill.

This post was originally published on February 4, 2015 and republished Jan 31, 2019 with updated photos and content.

They’re a trifecta of pure cocoa and chock full of both semisweet and white chocolate chunks as well as white chocolate chips.

The addition of instant coffee granules elevates these heavenly cookies with amazing mocha flavour!

You’ll find them soft and chewy with loads of gooey melted chocolate when bitten into…just the way I like my cookies.

These triple chocolate cookies are just about ready to hit the oven right after mixing the dough together. However, if you love and want more of that concentrated chocolate flavour, then do chill the dough overnight.

This cookie dough is a rather stiff dough to start off with. So, if you do chill the dough overnight then simply remember to allow the dough to sit at room temperature for about an hour or two. This will make it easier to scoop out and bake.

A good old tablespoon is enough to scoop up chunks of cookie dough for baking. However, if you have a small ice-cream scoop of about 1 and a half inch to 2 inches, this would work even better. It allows you to swoop in and scoop and releases the cookie dough without much effort.

You’ll probably get a good 3 dozen medium size cookies…give or take a few!

However you can make them larger if you wish.

Simply remember to adjust the baking time accordingly for bigger cookies.

Tips for making soft triple chocolate cookies

A useful tip to chewy gooey cookies, is not to over bake them.

For cookies with soft and chewy centres, bake them for about 8 minutes. They’ll be very fragile when removed from the oven so allow them to cool in the baking pan placed over a cooling rack.

If you like them crispier around the edges then simply bake them for 10 to 12 minutes.

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Triple Chocolate Cookies

Triple chocolate cookies, chock full of both semi-sweet and white chocolate chunks and semi-sweet chocolate chips. A heavenly decadent cookie.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate, Cookie, Triple chocolate, Soft and chewy

Servings:

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 tbls unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp instant coffee granules
3/8 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter softened
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup chopped white chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375*
Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a medium size bowl combine the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, coffee, salt and set aside.
In a large bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and both the sugars together. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix till blended. Mix in the flour mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips, chopped semi-sweet chocolate and chopped white chocolate.
Using a cookie scoop or spoon, form balls into large walnut size chunks of dough. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, they should look just barely set with a shiny sheen. Remove from oven and let cool 15 mins.

Notes

This recipe was adapted from The Best of Better Baking by Marcy Goldman. One of my favourite cookbooks, with lots of insightful information to turn anyone into a better baker.

Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies

October 19, 2018 by Marisa 24 Comments

Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies are traditional ring shaped tiny cookies. They’re somewhat rustic in appearance and studded with wine-soaked anise seeds. A subtle lemon scent permeates throughout this easy to make cookie.

If your new to this type of Italian cookie you’ll be glad to know that its really quite simple to make. Also, with just a few simple ingredients which you mostly likely already have on hand.

Its also a dairy free cookie which makes a wonderful option for those following a special diet.

These Italian wine cookies are customarily served as an after dinner treat alongside a glass of wine for dipping the cookies into. But they’re also quite wonderful served with any type of liquor that compliments the scent of the anise seeds. Such as Sambuca or even Ouzo if your so inclined. Hubby loves to dip his in grappa.

How to Shape Ciambelline al Vino, Italian Wine Cookies

This my friends is where the fun begins. You’ll so love the aroma while shaping these morsels.

Start off by cutting pieces of dough approximately the size of a walnut in its shell.

You won’t need extra flour for rolling. It actually impedes the process.

Roll out to an 8 inch long rope and pencil thin. At this point you can cut the 8 inch rope in half and simply shape into a ring. Much like these Ciambelle Cookies.

However, if you’re feeling adventurous you’ll want to follow the steps below after rolling it into an 8 inch long rope.

Bend the rope so that it rests parallel and start twisting the 2 strands while interloping them together.

Join the 2 ends together and pinch to secure the round cookies.

You’ll want to repeat this step with the remaining dough before dipping in the sugar.

You’re now ready to dip these pretty shaped cookies into the sugar. Turn them all over to coat while gently pressing them into the sugar.

They don’t take long to bake. In fact 15 minutes is all it took in my conventional mode oven. You’ll know they’re ready when they turn a soft golden hue. And. Oh my goodness. Those wonderful aromas!

They’re tender and crumbly, not overly sweet and extremely addictive! I dare you to eat just one!

Happy baking dear friends!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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3.34 from 3 votes

Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies

Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies are ring shaped cookies. These rustic cookies studded with wine-soaked anise seeds make wonderfully delicious dunkers.

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Resting time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Ciambelline al Vino Italian Wine Cookies

Servings: cookies

Calories: 76kcal

Ingredients

1 tablespoon anise seeds
3 fluid ounces white wine I used hubby's homemade wine
3 fluid ounces extra virgin olive oil
2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar plus extra for dipping the cookies into
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
grated lemon zest from 1 lemon

Instructions

Place the anise seeds and the white wine in a small bowl and allow to soak for one hour.
Strain the anise seeds and reserve the white wine in the small bowl.
Add in the extra virgin olive oil to the reserved white wine and whisk the 2 liquids well then set aside.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, lemon zest and the strained anise seeds until well combined.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the oil and wine mixture.
Use a wooden spoon to work in as much of the flour as you can with the liquids until you get a soft dough.
Transfer the dough with any bits of flour remaining in the bowl to a work surface and knead the dough until it all comes together in a ball, for about 2 or 3 minutes.
Cover the dough with cling wrap and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
When ready to shape the the cookies, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 2 cookie trays with parchment paper and set aside.
To shape the cookies cut, off a piece of dough approximately the size of a walnut in its shell and roll it out to about 8 inches long and a 1/4 in diameter.
Bend in half while keeping it parallel and twist in a rope by overlapping the cookie dough strands. (as seen in photo)
Once roped together shape in a circle by bringing the ends together and pinch to secure and place on the cookie sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Place about 2/3 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl.
Dip the cookies one at a time in the sugar, turning to coat all over and return them to the prepared cookie sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart.
Bake in preheated oven for about 15 to 18 minutes.
When ready they'll be pale golden in colour and firm to touch.
Cool completely.
Serve as an after dinner treat for dipping in wine or your favourite hot beverage.

Nutrition

Amarena Wild Cherry Biscotti

September 7, 2018 by Marisa 19 Comments

Wonderfully delicious, lemon scented Amarena Wild Cherry Biscotti. A twice baked biscotti with a scattering of roasted salted pistachios are complimented with slivers of wild cherries bottled in syrup.

A little About Amarena Cherries

This is not a sponsored post but rather a product I enjoy very much!

For a truly memorable Italian experience, do try at least once the authentic Italian amarena cherry.

They are small, dark wild cherries which grow in the Bologna and Modena regions of Italy. Although somewhat bitter they have an incredibly deep cherry flavour.

These luscious cherries are bottled in syrup, masking their bitterness and making them perfect for home baking. They’re also equally wonderful for decorating desserts or garnishing drinks.

But really you can just as easily nibble on them whenever a craving hits for these bitter sweet jewels.

You can purchase these syrup soaked cherries at most Italian specialty shops or simply online.

Back To The Recipe

I fell in love with these cherries at first taste and I absolutely had too bake a batch of biscotti! They’re my go to treat whenever I’m craving a quick nibble to serve with coffee or tea.

As a switch up from the more standard almond and orange biscotti I usually bake, I chose pistachios to compliment the cherries. I also added the zest of a lemon to infuse a lovely citrus scent to the biscotti dough.

I baked the logs for 25 minutes, just until they are golden brown with a soft but firm touch.

After the initial first bake you’ll want them to cool for about 10 minutes. This will make slicing much easier and then you simply re-bake for an additional 15 minutes to allow them to crisp up.

They come out of the oven with a dark golden hue. They’re so irresistible that you’ll be biting into them before they even cool off!

You’ll find that they’re perfectly dunkable in your favourite hot beverage! They’re also quite tooth friendly and easily enjoyable simply as they are!

Enjoy the biscotti and happy baking my friends!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Amarena Wild Cherry Biscotti

Lemon scented, twice baked Amarena Wild Cherry Biscotti studded with roasted salted pistachios are perfect for dunking in coffee or tea.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Amarena Wild Cherry Biscotti

Servings: Biscotti

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup pistachios, coarsely chopped I used roasted and salted pistachios
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/3 cup butter melted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
lemon zest from 1 small lemon
3/4 cup amarena wild cherries drained and chopped
1 beaten egg white for brushing over biscotti

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the flour, baking powder and pistachios in a large bowl and stir to combine.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, melted butter, vanilla extract and lemon zest.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Fold in the chopped Amarena cherries.
Divide the biscotti dough in half.
Dust your hands and work surface with flour and roll 1 portion at a time into a 12 inch log.
Transfer the logs to the prepared baking sheet.
Brush the biscotti logs with the beaten egg white.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Transfer the biscotti logs, one at a time, to a cutting board and slice diagonally to about 3/4 inch pieces.
Repeat with the remaining log.
Return the sliced biscotti to the baking sheet, stand them upright and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove the biscotti from the oven, allow to cool and enjoy with your favourite hot beverage.

Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

March 30, 2018 by Marisa 28 Comments

These Lemon Cornmeal S cookies are really quite tender with a lovely gritty texture from the addition of yellow corn meal. They carry an unmistakable lemon scent and are deliciously simple to make!

My love for any type of cookie is well documented in previous recipe posts. So much so that I rarely ever have store bought cookies around. Unless, they’re Italian S shaped cookies which I usually buy from Italian specialty shops.

Both my children have fond memories of dipping their hands into their favourite cookie jar brimming with store bought S shaped cookies.

But really, I must say that we adults enjoyed them as much as they if not more!

What are Italian “S” Cookies?

Italian “S” cookies are just that! Bits of soft pliable cookie dough shaped to form the letter “S”.

You can make the cookie dough with either butter or shortening. But I much prefer the buttery taste in mine!

They can be topped with coarse sugar or finished with a lemon glaze. Or, you can leave them plain which is equally yummy!

These “S” shaped cookies came about when my daughter suggested I try making some from scratch. This had me wondering why I hadn’t thought of it before.

I knew at that moment that I needed a homemade version in my life…ASAP!

I aimed for a cookie with texture and knew cornmeal would work wonderfully and lend a pleasant gritty feel. But I also wanted them to be rich in taste and so I played around with egg ratios till my family members gave them a thumbs up.

Aside from being pleasantly gritty in texture they’re also extremely airy and make a lovely alternative to a much sweeter cookie and simply beg to be dipped in a steaming cup of coffee or tea.

In fact these not too sweet cookies are perfect after an overindulgent meal and equally great as an anytime snack

Whisking vs Sifting:

Another area I experimented with was in baking a batch using whisked dry ingredients and another with dry sifted ingredients. I must say there was a remarkable difference in the two methods and both with wonderful results.

In whisking the dry ingredients together I achieved a soft workable dough and I needed a minimal amount of flour on my hands to shape the cookies. They baked to a lovely golden colour and they retained the S shape. In texture they were both airy and dry but still tender, with similar characteristics of the store bought variety but much tastier in my opinion.

While sifting the dry ingredients in my next batch, this yielded a notable difference. Sifting aerated the dough which necessitated in an extra 1/2 cup of flour to be workable in shaping the S cookies. The other is that the cookies spread out ever so slightly and were much softer, airier and lighter in texture.

Again both equally delicious and something to keep in mind when trying the recipe for yourselves!

While we enjoyed both variations of these adorable Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies, I love them sprinkled with turbinado sugar. My daughter less so!

A great compromise would be to bake half the batch of S cookies without the sprinkle of sugar. It’s a win win in my opinion!

Whenever I bake these for the Easter holiday, I dip some in a lemon glaze and then top them with sprinkles.

If you plan to do the same, simply omit brushing the cookies with the egg wash and also omit the turbinado sugar.

Which ever way you dress them up they’re sure to please!

Happy Baking!

If you make this recipe remember to tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

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Lemon Cornmeal S Cookies

These Lemon Cornmeal S cookies are really quite tender with a lovely gritty texture from the addition of yellow corn meal and carry a subtle lemon scent, enough to perk up your taste buds.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: S cookies, Italian cookies, lemon cookies, cornmeal cookies,

Servings: dozen

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cup yellow corn meal fine grind
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
lemon zest from 2 lemons
2 large eggs plus 4 egg yolks reserve the remaining egg whites for brushing over the cookies before baking
1/2 cup unsalted butter melted
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
turbinado sugar to sprinkle over the cookies optional

Instructions

Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside while you prepare the cookie dough.
In a large bowl whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt then set aside.
Place the sugar and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse together for about 20 seconds to make a quick lemon sugar, then set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, beat together the 2 whole eggs, 4 egg yolks, and lemon sugar on medium high speed for 5 minutes till thickened.
Mix in the melted butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
The dough will be soft but manageable to work with.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F while you start rolling and shaping the S cookies.
Scoop out a large ball of cookie dough using an ice-cream scoop.
Dust hands with a bit of flour and roll out to form a 12 inch long rope about a 1/2 inch in diameter.
Cut the rope into 3 equal pieces of 4 inches each.
Transfer each piece one at a time to the prepared cookie sheet and bend into an S shape while spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.
Beat the reserved egg whites and brush lightly over the S shaped cookies.
Sprinkle the cookies with the turbinado sugar and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes.
When done the cookies should have a lovely golden color.
Transfer the cookies to a cooling rack.
Allow to cool and enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea.

Notes

If planning to dip some of the cookies in a lemon glaze, OMIT brushing the S cookies with beaten egg whites and the turbinado sugar, then bake as directed. Once cooled dip them in a lemon glaze to a ratio of 1 cup powdered sugar to 2 tablespoons lemon juice, approximately, depending on how thick you want the lemon glaze. Top with sprinkles of your choice before icing sets.

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