Almond Mocha Biscotti

I live biscotti, but I always thought it was super hard to make. I saw this recipe on Pinterest from Sage Recipes and decided to give it a shot. It was SO easy. A bit time consuming, but worth it.  I was blown away at how moist, yet crunchy the cookies came out. Instead of espresso, I used mocha-flavored instant coffee. I also made some other substitutions to make the biscotti to my taste. The flavor was a nice mixture of coffee,nuts and chocolate. The perfect cookie to dip in your coffee, or in my case, chai. Try it for yourself!

Cook time: 2 hours                                                                  Makes: 2 dozen

1 tbsp mocha-flavored instant coffee
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1.5 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
4 tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
2/3 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup almonds, slivered

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F

2. In a small bowl- mix your instant coffee with 1 tbsp of hot water

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a big bowl (I used my Kitchenaid mixer) cream the butter and sugar together for about 2-3 minutes. Mix the eggs in one at a time, mixing in between additions. Add the instant coffee and almond extract and mix again for about 1 minute.

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 1/2 cup at a time and mix in between additions. Once all the flour is added, mix in the chocolate chips and almonds with a spatula.

6. Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and roll out into a log that is about 2-3 inches high. The dough will be a bit sticky, but still manageable.  Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

7. Turn the oven down to 275 F.  Let the biscotti cool for 10 minutes and slice into 1/2 inch thick slices.  Lay the cookies down on their sides and bake them for another 30 minutes. Enjoy them with coffee, tea, or just by themselves! 🙂