Triple Chocolate Biscotti

Biscotti.  Delicious, Crunchy, Chocolaty goodness biscotti. Dipping biscotti in chocolate is a modern variation of the original recipe. Invented in Italy, this twice-baked cookie originally started out as twice-baked bread used during long trips because of it's long shelf life. Today, I make the ultimate biscotti: chocolate biscotti dipped and drizzled with milk chocolate. I finished these in 2 days. And yes I ate them for dinner last night.

Double Chocolate Biscotti
Serving: 30-36 slices
Prep & Cook Time: About 40 min. + cooling

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1 & 3/4 cups flour
1 cup mini chocolate chips (optional- if you want to skip it then you can make Double Choc. Biscotti)

7-8 ounces chocolate (your choice, I used left over Hersey's bars from Christmas)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large cookie sheet and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter on medium for about 30 seconds.
3. Mix in sugars, cocoa powder, and baking powder.
4. Beat eggs in one at a time until combined.
5. Beat in flour slowly on low speed until combined (you may have to use your hands). Stir in choc. chips (optional)
6. Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 9 inch long loaf.
7. Place on cookie sheet and flatten with your fingers until about 2 inches wide.
8. Bake for 20-25 min. Cool completely.
9. While biscotti is cooling, start the chocolate on a double broiler.
10. Reduce over to 325 degrees.
11. On a cutting board, cut the biscotti diagonally into 1/2 inch slices. Place them cut side down on a non greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until dry and crispy. I did mine for about 15 min to get it extra crispy. (Butter generally makes the biscotti softer, but in some recipes where oil is used, the cookies turn out crispier.) Cool completely.
12. Mix the melted chocolate on the double broiler to smooth. Dip the flat biscotti bottoms one by one into the chocolate and set it on it's side on parchment paper to dry. If you have leftover chocolate, drizzle over the sides of the biscotti.
13. Once dry, transfer to fridge for 30 minutes to firm.
14. Enjoy! I kept these in tupper ware in the fridge for 3 days.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

I have been on a major bacon binge lately. I never used to eat it the stuff, but thanks to the bf I started to get it at restaurants, which led to me buying it and fried it up at home for breakfast, and of course I've reached that climactic stage in bacon evolution, a week of bacon in everything! From sandwiches, to breakfast foods, to bacon wrapped hot dogs, I have been hard at work clogging up my arteries. But there was one recipe that was amazingly delicious: Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Baking with bacon seems to be a new trend. Chocolate dipped bacon, maple bacon cupcakes, and bacon cookies have been popping up in restaurants, bakeries, and blogs. How could I not try a recipe that combines that greasy, salty taste with the chocolaty goodness of a chocolate chip cookie?! And get ready for this... instead of butter, this recipe uses bacon drippings. Oh ya, I said it. Enjoy it.

Now for some exercise...

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies (with Butterscotch Chips)

Recipe adapted from A Cozy Kitchen

Makes about 24 cookies

Prep and cooking time: 1 hour  

Ingredients

1/2 cup white sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

3/4 cup bacon drippings at room temperature

2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups flour

6 pieces of bacon, fried and chopped (the original called for 4, but come on, it's bacon)

6 oz. of chocolate chips

3 oz. of butterscotch chips (optional- but the flavor goes really well with bacon)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the white sugar, brown sugar, egg and bacon drippings.

3. Add the oats, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, flour and mix well.

4. Gently fold in the bacon and chocolate chips (and butterscotch chips).

5. Using your hands shape the dough into 1 1/2″ to 2″ cookies. Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for ten minutes or until done.