This one's on FIRE...

With the Fall weather quickly going from warm to cool to WTF?! IT'S FREEZING OUT!, It's become obvious that it's time for more baked goods and lots of hot cocoa.

This past week I managed to pull together an exceptional batch of biscotti. Not just homemade biscotti, but the kind you want when you go out to some high end rug-joint. The kind that just comes with a cup of coffee because it is so damned good.

What I've found, is that making biscotti is actually pretty easy. All you need is a little time and a steady hand for slicing, and what could possibly be the best biscotti are well within your reach.

And Sunday was, without a doubt, the best possible day for Hot Cocoa and Biscotti. Not just any Cocoa either... Salted Caramel & Dark Chocolate Cocoa.



Biscotti
3 oz Butter
4 3/4 oz. Sugar
1/4 t Salt
1 t Vanilla
1 1/2 t Baking Powder
2 Large Eggs
2 Cups Flour

Preheat oven to 350F.
Beat Butter, Sugar, Salt, Vanilla, and Baking Powder until mixture is smooth and creamy.
Beat in Eggs, then add Flour. Work until a sticky dough comes together.
Turn Dough out onto a greased cookie sheet and form into a log, as wide as you like, but only 3/4" thick.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Reduce oven to 325F.
Use serrated knife to cut log into 1/2" slices.
Place slices, standing up, back on cookie sheet.
Return to oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Note: When you remove the biscotti from the oven the second time, they may feel a little soft. Do not worry, they will continue to dry out after they are placed on a rack to cool.

Other Note: If you want to add sweets like chocolate chips, do so after the dough has come together. Also, don't get crazy adding stuff. Use a little moderation and these will turn out exponentially better.

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So yeah, Sunday was a perfect chilly day to enjoy some winter treats. There were some snow flurries early on in the day, and a nipping wind that made it feel so good to settle down to a cup of hot chocolate and a freshly baked Italian cookie. Oh, and the Clubhouse for our Apartment complex burned down. Did I not mention that? My bad.








And here we have the money shot:



Never a dull moment for this simple baker, no siree...