Break out the baking sheets—holiday cookie season has arrived!
I love holiday cookies! From cut-out gingerbread to powdered snowballs to slice-and-bake shortbread, there are so many delicious options! The only problem is choosing what to make first—and this year, I’m starting with these Chocolate Peppermint Bark Biscotti.
Intensely chocolatey with the perfect amount of crunch, these biscotti will be a delicious addition to your holiday cookie platter. The pop of peppermint from the crushed candy canes accents the rich cocoa, while a finishing drizzle of white chocolate adds the perfect touch of sweetness. And let’s be honest, nothing says the holidays like white chocolate showered with candy cane confetti!
Biscotti may look complicated (you have to bake it TWICE??!), but it’s actually very simple. The dough comes together in a few minutes—you can even mix it by hand—and bakes in two large logs until it’s mostly cooked through. Then each log is sliced and the pieces go back to the oven to crisp up. And that’s it! No big deal. Honestly, the most difficult part of making biscotti is the decorating—many recipes ask you to dip each piece in melted chocolate, which is surprisingly difficult to do neatly—but I’ve neatly side-stepped this challenge by choosing to drizzle the chocolate instead, ensuring that your biscotti’s decoration will be as effortless as it is elegant!
Whatever other cookies may be on your holiday baking list, I hope you’ll make time for these Chocolate Peppermint Bark Biscotti. Crunchy, chocolatey, and so delicious, they’ll be a yummy addition to your holiday cookie platter—or even just your morning coffee hour!
Enjoy!
Chocolate Peppermint Bark Biscotti
(Makes 20)
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (45 grams) cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup candy canes bits (about 8 candy canes worth) plus additional for sprinkling*
1 cup white chocolate, melted**
Special equipment: parchment paper, serrated knife.
Method
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and kosher salt in a bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together beaten eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract until blended. Using a spatula or spoon, stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined—the dough will be stiff. Fold in chocolate chips and candy cane bits.
Lay a fresh sheet of parchment paper on your work surface. Divide dough into two equal pieces and transfer one piece to the parchment paper. Use the paper to shape dough into a rough log (it will be very sticky!), about 7 inches long and 3 ½ inches wide. The log should be about ¾ inches tall. Use the parchment paper to flip the dough log onto the parchment-lined baking sheet; peel off the top parchment paper and return it to the word space. Repeat with the remaining dough half (you can reuse the paper).
Bake biscotti in preheated oven for 22-28 minutes, or until the logs are puffed and fairly firm, but give slightly when you press their centers. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F.
Using a serrated knife, carefully slice biscotti loaves on a 45-degree diagonal into ½-inch-thick slices. Return to parchment-lined baking sheets, cut sides up; bake for 15-20 minutes, or until firm and dry. Cool on a wire rack.
Drizzle with melted white chocolate and sprinkle with candy cane bits. Let dry before storing in an airtight container.
*You can buy candy cane bits in some stores, or you can just buy candy canes and crush them! To crush the candy canes, I recommend sealing them in a disposable plastic bag and then bashing them with a rolling pin. You could also blitz them briefly in the food processor if you like! Just be careful not to over-blitz them. You don’t want candy cane dust!
**I used white chocolate chips and melted them in the microwave in 20-30 second intervals, stirring in between. To drizzle the white chocolate, I scooped the melted chocolate into one corner of a gallon plastic bag and cut the tip off the corner to make a makeshift piping bag. If you have an actual piping bag, you can use it, of course, or if all else fails, just drizzle the white chocolate with a spoon!
Originally posted December 6, 2021.
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