Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti
I was in the mood for mandel bread or biscotti and decided the best way to get some was to get in the kitchen and bake. One problem, I wasn’t sure which I wanted.
As I sat deliberating this issue, I started wondering what the difference is between the two. They both seem to be crunchy and flavorful, so how do I know which is which?
I searched the Internet for answers and found out that the word ‘mandel’ means almond in both Yiddish and German. So, mandel bread is really almond bread. Yet, it’s not. I have so many mandel bread recipes that do not include almonds, that I truly wonder if my friends meant to write ‘biscotti’ on the recipe card rather than ‘mandel bread’.
One general description I liked was that mandel bread is to the European Jews what biscotti are to the Italians. Hmmmmmm. Could it really be that basic?
Some people will say that mandel bread only needs to be baked once, whereas biscotti, by definition, must bake twice. I don’t know if this is accurate because I have only seen mandel bread recipes that require double baking.
Either way, one thing is crystal clear…this Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti is delicious. Even if you want to call it mandel bread!
Pin it: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/26106872815731163/
| Coconut Chocolate Chip Biscotti | Print |
- Dough:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
- ¾ cup miniature chocolate chips
- Topping:
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- For the dough:
- Preheat oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
- Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
- Cream butter and sugar together in large mixing bowl, scraping bowl down periodically. Add eggs, one at a time. Blend in vanilla.
- Mix in dry ingredients. Lastly, add coconut and chocolate chips.
- Divide dough between two baking sheets. Shape into two logs that are 1” high and just under 3” wide, one per baking sheet. The length will depend on the amount of dough on each baking sheet.
- Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on baking rack for 20 minutes.
- For the topping:
- Stir together sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.
- After 20 minutes, use two spatulas to transfer each loaf to cutting board. Slice into ¾” slices. Return slices back to parchment covered baking sheet.
- Roll each slice in cinnamon/sugar mixture and return back to baking sheets.
- Bake at 350° for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and use a metal spatula to turn biscotti over. Return to oven, rotating the pans front to back and side to side. Bake at 350° for an additional 15 minutes, until biscotti are golden brown.
- Remove from oven and eat hot, warm or cold.
