Chocolate Cappuccino Biscotti : Bake-Along #72

It's time for our bake #72 at Bake-Along, and our theme is "Christmas Theme : Biscotti". Even though biscotti can be baked anytime of the year, it is best shared during Christmas, and a box of homemade crispy biscotti makes a lovely gift for this festive season.

Do join us ; Lena, Zoe and myself, bake any biscotti recipe and link your post in the linky below.

My first biscotti post for this theme, Chocolate Cappuccino Biscotti. I have made several other biscotti and will post them soon.

Biscotti are traditional Italian cookie, perfect for dunking in coffee, espresso or even milk, if you prefer! These cookies are baked twice,  very crispy, and can keep for weeks in an air-tight container. Should they become softened, they can be toasted in the oven until crispy.

To make biscotti, firstly, make the dough by using the required ingredients, shape them into long, slightly flattened logs, bake for about 20 minutes until slightly brown and set. Cool for about 15 minutes, and cut into 1/2 inch slices at a diagonal. Place the sliced pieces on a baking sheet, and bake as per instructions in the recipe, until light brown and crisp. 

This Chocolate Cappuccino Biscotti is so crispy, delicious and perfect with a cup of hot coffee. The recipe uses instant espresso coffee powder and coffee liqueur, which I've used Kahlua. It smells incredibly good while these are baking. I did reduce the sugar by half and it was still a little sweet for me, but lovely when dipped in strong black coffee. I like my biscotti to be really crispy, so I have baked them a little longer than the recipe calls for, until they were really brown all around the edges. When my last piece was gone a few days later, I was wishing there was more for my morning cuppa! Yum!

** my changes listed in blue
Chocolate Cappuccino Biscotti
(adapted from "Bake Something Great", Jill Snider)

• Preheat oven to 375F (190C)
• Cookie sheet, greased or lined with parchment paper

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt (omitted, use salted butter)

2 tbsp instant espresso coffee powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened (125gm)

1 cup granulated sugar (1/2 cup)

2 eggs

2 tbsp coffee liqueur (Kahlua)

3 squares (1oz/28gm each) semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (100gm choc chips)

Glaze

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 tbsp turbinado sugar (demerara sugar)

1. On a sheet of waxed paper or in a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, espresso powder and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and granulated sugar until light and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add liqueur. On low speed, gradually add flour mixture, beating until dough becomes too stiff for the mixer, then finish mixing with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in chopped chocolate. Using your hands, knead to form a smooth dough.
3. Divide dough into halves. Shape each into a roll 12 inches (30cm) long. Place about 4 inches (10cm) apart on prepared cookie sheet. Flatten rolls to 2 inches (5cm) wide, leaving top slightly rounded.
4. Glaze : Brush top of rolls with beaten egg. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over top. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned around edges. Cool for 15 minutes on sheet, then trransfer to a cutting board. Cut into 1/2-inch (1cm) slices. Stand upright on cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool for 5 minutes on sheet, then transfer to a rack and cool completely.

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Do stop by Lena of Frozen Wings and Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, and all our friends who has baked along with us in the linky below :

For our next Bake-Along, we will be baking "Theme : Mille Feuille (Napoleon)". Please do join us, bake any Mille Feuille recipe, also known as Napoleon, and link your post to our linky which will start on 8th till 17h January. Everyone is welcome to join us! Only current post please.

A friendly reminder when linking to our blog hop :

1. Please mention Bake-Along event in your own post linking direct to any of the hosts' post (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

2. Please link only new and current post, PLEASE FOLLOW THE BAKE OR THEME provided by us. Unrelated post will be deleted.

3. Feel free to display our Bake-Along badge in your post.

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 I'm linking this post to :
Cook & Celebrate Christmas 2014 hosted by Bake For Happy Kids, Eat Your Heart Out and Domestic Goddess Wannabe.

and

Cook-Your-Books #19 @ kitchen flavours

To join our blog hop, click on the link to get the codes :
get the InLinkz code

An InLinkz Link-up

Cranberry Orange Apricot Bars

I have lots of dried fruits in my baking pantry, which I am trying to clear. Found two unopened packs of dried cranberries, I must have forgotten that I already have a pack when I bought the second one! Note to self : do not buy anymore dried fruits until I have finished the ones I have right now, golden raisins, black raisins, prunes, apricots, black currant, cranberries! Those are only dried fruits, there are nuts, various types of flour and other knick knacks! Much as I like my pantry to be cleared as much as possible, I really do like a well-stocked pantry. Do you buy your ingredients only when needed and enough for that one bake? Or like me, can't help myself when it comes to baking ingredients and then months later, got to find recipes to clear them off! Haha! Much as I'm always trying to clear my pantry, I have never succeeded before, and I don't think I ever will! wink!

The first thing that came to mind with these dried fruits are bars or slices. And found a really nice recipe from this lovely book, which I have been neglecting for a while now, "Bake Something Great", which has 400 bars, squares and cookies recipes, by Jill Snider.  Wonderful thing is, it uses three types of dried fruits, and what a coincidence, I have all three (ha!ha!, really!). Big grin!! 

These Cranberry Orange Apricot Bars has a buttery crust at the bottom, with a fruity-nut layer on the top.

The crust is really easy and quick to make, it is a mixture of flour, brown sugar and butter, which are processed until crumbly and then spread in the baking pan to a thin layer. It is then baked about 10 to 12 minutes until the sides are a little brown. It took mine about 15 minutes, maybe because I lined the pan with baking parchment extending over two opposite sides, for easy removal of the whole bars for easy cutting later.

To prepare the top layer, the dried fruits are chopped and bring to boil with some freshly squeezed orange juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Drain off any excess liquid. 

Whisk eggs and brown sugar in a medium bowl until blended, add the flour and cinnamon and stir until combined. Pecans and the boiled dried fruits are stirred in, spread mixture over the baked crust. Return to oven and baked until the top layer is golden brown and set, about 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Remove the whole bar by lifting the two ends of the baking parchment, cut into bars to serve.

My notes : This is a lovely bar, with buttery crust and fruity-nutty topping.  I have reduced the sugar for both the crust and the topping, and believe me, you would not miss out on the sugar. Even with the reduced amount of sugar, I can definitely taste the sweetness of these bars, which comes from the dried fruits. Really nice to snack on, and wonderful with a cup of warm tea.

Cranberry Orange Apricot Bars
(adapted from "Bake Something Great', Jill Snider)
Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
9-inch square cake pan, greased (I greased and lined the pan with parchment paper, extending over opposite sides for easy removal of the whole bar)

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar (I use 1/4 cup loosely packed)
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed (I use 70gm)

Filling
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar (I use 1/2 cup loosely packed)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/3 cup chopped pecans

1. Crust : In a bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Filling : In a saucepan, combine raisins, cranberries, apricots and orange juice. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let stand for 20 minutes. Liquid should be absorbed. If necessary, drain off any excess.
3. In a bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar until blended. Add flour and cinnamon, whisking until smooth. Stir in pecans and fruit mixture. Spread evenly over crust.
4. Return to oven and bake until top is set and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars.

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This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Bake For Happy Kids, and My Little Favourite DIY, hosted by Ann of Anncoo Journal . 

and 

Cook-Your-Books #11 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Seeds and Coconut Oatmeal Crisps

These cookies are full of nuts, seeds, oats and coconut flakes. There is no flour in the recipe. Yup, that's right, no flour at all.

The seeds and nuts can be varied to whatever you have in your panty. I have replaced the flax seeds with sunflower seeds, and have used walnuts in place of the pecans. According to the book, toasted wheat germ that is sold in bottles, has a nice nutty flavour and crunchier texture. I have however use the regular wheat germ, toasted them till light brown. And as usual, I have reduced the sugar slightly.

For chewy cookies, bake them about 10-12 minutes, and longer for crispier cookies.

I baked these cookies till they are really brown and crisp. These are rather addictive, very crispy and fragrant from all the different textures of the ingredients. But these cookies stay crispy on the day they are baked, on the next day, they became chewy. Though I do not mind eating them chewy, as it is like eating a flatter version of muesli bars! Very nice! 

Seeds and Coconut Oatmeal Crisps
(adapted from : "Bake Something Great", Jill Snider)
Makes about 2-1/2 dozens cookies
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar (I use scant 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup chopped pecans (I use walnuts)
1/4 cup wheat germ (toasted till light brown)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
3 tbsp flax seeds (I replaced with pumpkin seeds)

Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
Cookie sheet, greased or lined with parchment paper

1. In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until blended. Stir in oats, coconut, pecans, wheat germ, and sesame, sunflower and flax seeds. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours.
2. Drop dough by tablespoons (15ml) about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet. Using an offset spatula or the back of a spoon, press until thin and flat. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes for chewy cookies until golden around the edges or 14 minutes for crisp cookies, until golden overall. Cool for 10 minutes on sheet, then transfer to a rack and cool completely. 

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up, organized by Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Doreen from My Little Favourite D.I.Y, hosted by Vivian from Vivian Pang's Kitchen

I'm sharing this post with :

Cook-Your-Books #6 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Chewy Chocolate Almond Bars

This is a delightful chocolate almond bars, great for snacking. Made this for my nieces and nephew last week. These are made with simple ingredients that I'm sure are already in your pantry. Well, except maybe for the corn syrup, which is not an ingredient that is used in most bakes. 

One of the things I like about baking bars, slices or squares is that they are quick to make and quick to disappear! :)

I lined the baking pan with aluminium foil with two opposite sides overhang for easy removal. From my past experiences with bars and slices, it is always best to line the pan with aluminium foil even though the recipe only requires the pan to be greased. I find that sometimes the bars and slices tend to stick to the pan especially if they contain high sugar ingredients like jam, preserves and honey. And by using aluminium foil, it helps to prevent the sides of the bars touching the cake pan from burning or browning too fast.

As usual, I reduced the sugar for the topping, using only half the amount called for, and half of the corn syrup too. Believe me, you would not miss out on the sweetness, it is just right with the adjustment. And remember, choc chips are already sweetened! I replaced the almond extract with vanilla extract, as I'm not quite sure whether my nieces and nephew like almond extract, since almond extract is not everyone's cup of tea! When in doubt, use vanilla extract!!  

Why are these bars called chewy? I guess because when these bars are no longer warm, the almonds are no longer crunchy but a little chewy instead! Not that anyone is complaining! Most of the chocolate chips got all melted, coating the surface in a yummy way!

The bottom crust is like a shortbread, buttery and nice. A keeper recipe from one beautiful book!

I'm sharing this with :
Cookbook Sunday hosted by Couscous & Consciousness
Recipe Box 1 hosted by Bizzy Bakes
Full Plate Thursday hosted by Miz Helen's Country Cottage

Chewy Chocolate Almond Bars
(adapted from "Bake Something Great" by Jill Snider)
Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (loosely packed)
1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

Topping
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
1/2 cup corn syrup (1/4 cup)
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp almond extract (replaced with vanilla extract)
1 cup milk chocolate chips
3/4 cup silvered almonds

Preheat oven to 350F (180C)
9-inch square cake pan, greased (I lined with aluminium foil, overhang on two opposite sides, for easy removal)

1. Crust : In a bowl, combine flour, ground almonds and brown sugar. Using a pastry blender, 2 knives or your fingers, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press evenly into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven until golden around the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Topping : In a bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, syrup, melted butter and almond extract until well blended. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds. Pour evenly over crust.
3. Return to oven and bake until set and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on rack. Cut into bars.