This biscotti is a Christmas TREAT to dip in your coffee or hot chocolate. Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Biscotti are chocolate biscotti dipped into semi-sweet chocolate and adorned with crushed peppermint candy. They’re a delightful way to celebrate the holiday season!
Italian Biscotti Recipes
Let me set the scene for you. First, you make a yummy Peppermint Mocha Cocoa, grab a Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Biscotti (recipe from this post) and climb onto the couch near the fireplace and your Christmas tree.
Then, melt into peppermint heaven!
I completely fell in love with biscotti over the years.
I adapted an anise biscotti recipe I found in an authentic Italian cookbook into Chocolate-dipped Amaretto Biscotti. There are no words to describe how tasty they are!!
Now, I’m on a mission to make every variation of biscotti known to my fellow Americans as a duty.
So, stay tuned because they’re coming to my cookies category.
Biscotti originated from Prato, Italy. As a matter of fact, my first cousin’s husband (who lives in Italy) is from Prato, which is in the Tuscany area of Italy. Therefore, I have connections to great recipes… wink, wink.
In case you didn’t already know it, I’m born from Italian immigrants. My mother was (R.I.P.) an EXCELLENT Italian cook!
My friends would never turn down an offering of her meatballs and homemade sauce, that she called gravy, or any desserts.
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I’ll receive a small commission but, the price you pay is the same.
Italian Biscotti Recipes
Italian Biscotti RecipesThere are so many variations of Italian biscotti which, simply means “cookies” in Italian. Therefore, biscotti in Italy is general term for cookies and not specific to what Americans call biscotti.
Biscotti means twice cooked. The reason for this is because biscotti is first baked, then cut into pieces and baked or toasted again once cut.
The second round of baking them for about ten minutes makes them harder. Some people prefer them softer and you can achieve this by not baking them a second time. However, they’ll crumble more and not be as easy to dip in melted chocolate without getting crumbs in the chocolate.
Is Biscotti better with oil or butter?
Is Biscotti better with oil or butter?To me, butter seems like a staple for cookies but, this is probably because I’m Italian American (mostly American.) My mom (who was an Italian immigrant) loved her Stella D’oro Anisette Toast (Amazon affiliate link) which is a hard biscotti. They’re hard biscotti and great for dunking in coffee.
Once in a while, I buy them just to feel like I’m having coffee (espresso) with her again. I miss her and her cooking so much! She drank espresso by the mugful. No wonder she was hyper. LOL
Biscotti doesn’t have to be made with butter or oil which will make them harder like traditional biscotti.
Therefore, Italian Anise Cookies fall under the category of biscotti in Ita
Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Biscotti
How do you make biscotti from scratch?
*See the full printable recipe in the recipe card below.
Get your baking list together. You probably already have most of these ingredients but, you may need to order the coffee granules and crushed peppermint candy. Or, maybe you’re low on vanilla.
Ingredients
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- butter
- sugar
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- salt
- flour
- baking powder
- instant espresso granules
- water
Decorating Ingredients
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- crushed peppermint candy
I got tired of hammering my candy canes so, I saw this Candy Cane Crunch bag at a craft store and couldn’t buy it fast enough. I even got a good deal on it because I bought it after Christmas last year.
How do you tell if Biscotti is done?
If you’ve shaped them into two 10 inch or so long logs, they should take about 25-30 minutes to bake at 375F. When they’re brown on the edges, that’s a good indication they’re ready to be checked for doneness. Insert a toothpick in the center. If it comes out clean, they’re ready to remove from the oven and cool for about 10-15 minutes before cutting.
How long should biscotti cool before cutting?
Wait about 10-15 minutes before you cut them to bake again. If you wait too long, they’ll be too hard to cut and they’ll crumble. When you cut them, they’ll taste delicious as is but, toasting them a bit makes them easier to dip in the chocolate and they’ll be less crumbly as I mentioned above. But, it’s worth mentioning again in case you scrolled passed it.
What pairs well with biscotti?
Obviously, coffee goes well with biscotti. Espresso, cafe lattes, and American coffee. Peppermint Mocha Cocoa and hot chocolate is equally a great pairing and a good alternative to coffee. You can also eat them with iced coffees if you wish.
Hot tea is also good for biscotti especially anise and almond flavored biscotti.
Substitutions
- Use white chocolate chips instead of chocolate. (tip: add 1 tsp of coconut oil to white chips before melting, it helps melting process.)
- Crush candy canes in a pinch if you don’t have time to get the crushed candy canes.
- Use colored sprinkles instead of crushed peppermint candy if you prefer or want variety.
- Use an American instant coffee like Sanka instead of instant espresso if you wish.
- You may add 2 tbsp of strong coffee instead of coffee granules and omit the 3 tbsp of water.
Add this recipe to your holiday baking list. It’s easy to double or triple the batch and give the biscotti out as gifts to teachers, school bus drivers, or family and friends. Give the biscotti along with a bag of coffee or k-cups!
Whatever you do, enjoy the holiday season! Merry Christmas!
Peppermint Mocha Chocolate Biscotti Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso or coffee granules
- 3 tbsp water
Decorating Ingredients
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 tbsp crushed peppermint candy pieces
Instructions
- First, in a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar (combine and mix until almost smooth.) Add one egg at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl.
- Then, add in vanilla extract, coffee granules, water, baking powder, and salt. and mix.
- Next, add flour about a half of a cup at a time and mix until combined.
- Then, add cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
- Form cookie dough into a ball, put it in plastic wrap and freeze dough (set a timer) for 30 min to make it easier to handle. It shouldn't freeze to a solid in that time but just be very cold and malleable.
- Next, preheat oven to 375F.
- Then, divide cooled dough into two 10 inch or so logs spaced at least 2 inches apart. Bake for 25 min. Allow them to cool 20 minutes before you cut them.
- Next, using a serrated knife, cut baked and cooled logs into 12 pieces from each log. Suggestion: cut each log in half and then 1/4 and then 1/8 and then 1/12 pieces to make them even.
- Toast biscotti: Place baked, cut biscotti pieces into oven for 5-10 minutes on each side. Toasting them helps them to stay together when dipping them in chocolate.
- Then, line a baking sheet with wax paper or aluminum foil to put chocolate-dipped biscotti on.
- Next, in a microwave safe bowl, melt semi sweet chocolate chips in microwave for about one minute. Stir until completely melted.
- Then, dip each flat end of biscotti into melted chocolate. Put chocolate-dipped biscotti onto wax paper to let excess chocolate drip off.
- Last, dip each of the chocolate-dipped biscotti end into the crushed peppermint candy pieces. Let cool in the refrigerator or counter top until hardened. Store in covered containers.
Notes
Storage:
Store in an air tight container or vacuum pack them to maintain freshness. Freeze in air tight container or freezer bag for up to six months.Nutrition
