Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I'm always looking for new ways to repurpose some of my favorite recipes. They're favorites for a reason, and wonderful as originally written, but it's still fun to try out new twists to see if you can come up with something even better. These biscotti fall into this category. The base recipe is one of my favorites from King Arthur Flour that I've posted about before, but I felt like changing it up a little this time. I've really been liking the cinnamon chocolate combo recently so decided to give it a go with some biscotti. The combination of a hint of warm cinnamon with the sweetness of mini chocolate chips was a winner in this recipe. Another favorite for the archives!

I took the original recipe and halved it because I didn't need to make a huge batch of biscotti. I also cut down on the sugar just a little bit. This didn't effect the flavor or texture at all that I noticed, but I believe it contributed to these cookies hardly spreading at all while baking. As you can see, I made some really tiny biscotti and that was partly due to the fact that they didn't spread like I expected them to during baking. But that was okay with me, they are still delicious, and I think they're cute this way!

For the cinnamon, I added just 1/4 teaspoon because I didn't want they to be overpoweringly cinnamon-y. I finished them with just a couple of tablespoons of the mini chocolate chips. It's not a ton of chocolate, but once again I didn't want them to be too chocolate-y either. I wanted a nice combination of a little cinnamon and a little chocolate. But if you'd like a little more chocolate, or a little more cinnamon for that matter, go ahead and add a little more. It won't be bad!

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) butter

• 1/4 cup (1.75 ounces) brown sugar

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 large egg

• 2-3 tablespoons (about 1/8 of a cup, or 1 ounce) mini chocolate chips

• 1 cup all-purpose flour or a combo of all purpose and whole wheat

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, cinnamon, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Beat in the egg; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be a little sticky. Near the end of mixing, throw in the chocolate chips and mix until combined. 

Transfer the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and roughly shape it into  9 1/2" x 2" logs, about 3/4" tall. Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here. Sprinkle with some more brown sugar sugar, if desired, pressing it in gently.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes, turning the baking sheet halfway through. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Wait at least 5 minutes, then use a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal, for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.

Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, until are beginning to turn golden (if they are browning too fast, reduce the temperature to 300 degrees after 15 minutes). They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.

Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store airtight at room temperature; they'll stay good for weeks.

Yield: 15 small biscotti

Nutrition Info: approximately 82 calories each

Chewy Peanut Butter Oat Bars

Looking for a sweet and chewy, snack bar that is filling, substantial, and keeps for a long time? I have just the recipe for you! Personally, I love having healthier snacks on hand that I can grab in the morning to keep with me while I'm at the hospital in case I get hungry throughout the day. These bars fit the bill. What's also great about them is the ingredient list is short and simple. There are so many energy and health bar recipes out there with five million ingredients in them, half of which I don't have. For this recipe all you need is dried fruit (dates or prunes), a nut butter and oats. A pinch of salt and some water round them out nicely. So easy to throw together and so tasty to eat!

You will need a fairly powerful food processor to blend all of the ingredients together until they form a nice sticky paste. Then into a pan and finally into the oven to set up just a bit. I cut my bars into small bites that were the perfect snack to nibble on in the middle of the afternoon when dinner still seemed very far away. I kept them in the fridge, but I would think they would last out on the counter for quite a while as well, none of the ingredients in it are very perishable. And if you're feeling indulgent, I think a drizzle of chocolate overtop would be the perfect way to really make this recipe extra special. 

Chewy Peanut Butter Oat Bars
Adapted from Sugarcrafter
Ingredients

• 2 cups (12 ounces) prunes (or a combo of prunes and dates)
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup (128 ounces) peanut butter
• 2 cups (160 grams) old fashioned oats
• pinch salt

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with parchment paper, and set aside. In a large food processor, pulse the prunes until roughly chopped. Add the water and peanut butter, and blend until well pureed. The mixture will be very sticky. Add the oats to the food processor, and pulse until well combined with the prune and date mixture. 

Spread the mixture in an even layer in the prepared baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars. 

Calorie count: cut into 25 bars, 90 calories per bar

Festive Lemon Berry Bars

Happy Fourth a few days late! I hope you all had a great weekend. Mine was incredibly relaxing and lazy, exactly what I was hoping for! One of the few things I did accomplish during this wonderful weekend was baking up a batch of these festive and delicious lemon berry bars. I wanted an easy and quick dessert that was summery and fitting for the 4th of July. These bars fit the bill perfectly, filled with colorful red and blue berries and topped with a simple white glaze. The hint of lemon from some fresh lemon juice and zest was the perfect way to brighten them up for the middle of summer. Light and refreshing, these bars will be wonderful all season long!

The original recipe for these bars called for just blueberries, but I wanted to make them more festive for the holiday so I threw in the strawberries too because I had them on hand. Raspberries would have also been really good. I think pretty much any berry would do very nicely in these bars, so don't feel constrained to just blueberries and/or strawberries. 

When I first pulled the bars out of the oven they looked kind of funny. Since there is no leavening in them, they didn't really rise much, and the top was covered in bubbles which you can kind of see in the pictures. I wasn't sure what they would look like in the end, but once I cut them, and especially after adding the glaze they looked really nice, and quite delicious. So if they turn out a little funny looking at first, have no fear! Just cut them up once cool and add a nice hefty dose of glaze and all should be well!

Festive Lemon Berry Bars

Adapted from 

Sweet Pea's Kitchen

Ingredients

For the Bars:

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon finely grated zest 
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup strawberries, cut into small pieces

For the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon of water or fresh lemon juice 

Directions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8” x 8” pan with nonstick cooking spray.

In stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar, and lemon zest at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with rubber spatula. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, about 20 seconds. Add lemon juice and vanilla and mix to combine. Add flour and salt, mixing until incorporated. Fold in blueberries and strawberries.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top.

Bake until skewer inserted into brownies comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack to room temperature.

To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and water or lemon juice. Spread over bars and let firm up, about 10 minutes.

Chewy Trail Mix Cookies

Last week I was trying to decide what I should bake to have on hand for a quick grab and go breakfast. Breakfast cookies had been on my mind lately, so I decided to just go for it. I've been eyeing recipes for a while, and have a bunch of them pinned, but so far I hadn't got around to making any. There are so many different routes you can go with a breakfast cookie and I had been having difficulty deciding which recipe to use. I finally settled on these chewy trail mix cookies. They looked hearty and filling and were full of all sorts of good things like any trail mix should be. 

I'm glad that in the end I went with this recipe because it sure was a winner. The oats and nuts come together to form a delicious base that is filled with coconut, chocolate, seeds and dried fruit. A little brown sugar and honey for sweetness, and butter for flavor are all held together with some nut butter and an egg. They baked up thick and chewy just as I was hoping they would. An quick and easy breakfast that I can feel pretty good eating on those busy weekday mornings. 

I adapted the original recipe a little to work for me and they still turned out great. The original recipe was both vegan and gluten free, my version is neither but it would easy to go back and make the appropriate adjustment if this is something you are looking for. If you use gluten free oats they still would be gluten free, and replacing the egg with a flax egg and the butter with coconut oil as in the original recipe is a easy way to get them back into vegan territory. So as you can see, the recipe is pretty forgiving and adaptable. 

The add ins can also be adjusted to fit your tastes. Any type of seed, nut, chocolate, dried fruit, etc. could be used in this recipe. It really just depends on what you like and what you have in your pantry. As long as you aim to keep the volume of filling approximately the same as what is written I think they will turn out just fine. So play around with it, use what you like and make them your own!

Chewy Trail Mix Cookies
Adapted from Oh She Glows
Ingredients
Dry

• 1 cup (80 grams) old fashioned rolled oats, blended into oat flour
• 1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour (I used 2 ounces almonds ground in the food processor)
• 1/2 cup (40 grams) old fashioned rolled oats
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped or thinly sliced almonds
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons (15 grams) shredded unsweetened coconut
• 3 tablespoons (30 grams) mini dark chocolate chips (or finely chopped chocolate)
• 2 tablespoons (20 grams) sunflower seeds
• 3-4 tablespoon (28 grams) dried cranberries
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp fine grain sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda

Wet

• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup (64 grams) raw almond or peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup (80 grams) pure maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together all of the dry ingredients. In another medium sized bowl, stir together the wet ingredients until thoroughly combined. Add the wet mixture on top of the dry mixture and stir well until combined. 

Form the dough into small balls, rolling them between your palms until smooth. Place on prepared cookie sheet. (I made 12 total, they were approximately 50 grams each.) 

Bake cookies for 15-18 minutes until light golden brown on the bottom. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack until completely cool. 

Calories: 231 calories each for 12 cookies

Banana Oat Breakfast Bars

Currently these breakfast bars are hanging out near the top of my long list of favorites. I'm really loving them. I discovered the recipe a few months back when I was looking for some kind of breakfast bar that was easy to whip together using ingredients I usually have on hand, and was on the healthier side as baked goods like this go. Oh, and of course, they had to taste good too! This recipe easily meets all of these requirements. I love that they are full of hearty oats, sweetened with banana and just a hint of honey. I added pumpkin for extra moisture, which also adds a nice golden color without adding any additional flavor, I promise you won't even notice it's there. Plus, I love that I can add a vegetable into my breakfast treat and don't even notice it. My favorite way to eat these is by cutting them in half lengthwise and spreading both pieces with peanut butter, it's a perfect combination and a perfect breakfast.

The texture of these bars is a little different, not really bread-y the middle is almost creamy and custardy thanks to all the milk. I really like this, but if you prefer your baked goods a more firm, I'd be sure to bake them just a tad longer, but not too long that they dry out. The banana flavor really shines through, but I don't think the bars really taste like banana bread, they just taste like banana bars! The oats make them heart and chewy, just how I like it. And if you're into removing refined sugar from your diet, these are perfect; sweetened with banana and a little bit of honey. Skip the honey completely and you have no added sugar other than what's in the banana.The whole combination just makes me happy in the morning, it's a healthy and delicious alternative to my normal muffin.

Banana Oat Breakfast Bars
Adapted from Gringalicious
Ingredients

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup (4.25 oz) canned pumpkin (or you can sub applesauce for a little more sweetness)
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz) milk
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 tablespoons (1.5 oz) honey
• 2 cups (7 oz) old fashioned oats 
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a small baking dish with parchment paper and spray the parchment paper with baking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the banana, pumpkin, milk, egg and honey. Add the oats, flour, salt baking powder and vanilla. Mix until just combined.

Pour into prepared baking dish. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.

Yields: 8 bars

Nutrition: 197 calories each

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Last week I looked in the freezer and realized that I had almost no cookies or bars or anything else to eat for my bedtime snack! Moving into a new place can really throw off your baking schedule. I wanted something easy to quickly remedy this dire situation. Since I have a huge bag of oats floating around in my kitchen, I thought a simple oat bar of some kind would be nice. And while there are tons of oat bar recipes that call for peanut butter, I decided against a PB oat bar, looking instead for something even more basic; simply butter, oats, sugar and some chocolate of course. 

These bars fit the bill perfectly. Nothing fancy, nothing difficult, exactly what I was looking for. They come together in about a minute, really couldn't be easier. If you're looking for a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth but don't want to get into anything fancy or complicated these bars are for you. My first baking endeavor in new apartment was most definitely a success!

I cut my pan into small, bite-sized bars, perfect for a quick little snack, just the size I like before heading to bed each night. You of course can cut them however big you want, whatever your situation calls for. Since I didn't have tons of chocolate chips, I cut back on the amount of chocolate that I added to these bars in order to save some of my precious chocolate for something else later. But they would be even more decadent and delicious chocked full of chocolate. You can always add some nuts too if you like that sort of thing. I think walnuts would be especially delicious in this recipe, a perfect complement to the chewy oats and the sweet chocolate, this recipe is easy to really make your own. 

Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Adapted from 

Half Baked Harvest

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup (4.25 ounces) old fashioned oats
• 1 cup (5 ounces) all purpose flour
• 1/3 cup (2.5 ounces) brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of ground coffee, optional
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Chocolate chips, up to 4 ounces (about 3/4 cup), I only used 1 ounce

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8x8 inch baking dish with cooking spray, or line with parchment paper. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, sugar, soda, salt and coffee if using. Add the melted butter, egg and vanilla and mix until almost combined. Add in the chocolate chips, reserving a few to sprinkle over the top if desired. 

Transfer dough to prepared baking dish. Spread evenly with fingers. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate chips if desired, pressing them down gently. Bake in preheated oven for 20-22 minutes, don't overbake, it's okay if they are slightly underdone. Let cool in pan before cutting into bars. 

Approximate Calorie Count:

If cut into 16 medium sized bars: 143 calories each

If cut into 25 small bars: 92 calories each

American Style Vanilla Biscotti

I've found myself making a lot of biscotti lately. I just can't seem to sit down with a cup of coffee without wanting something small and sweet to snack on and biscotti are the perfect way for me to fix this problem. They are easy to make, usually make a large batch, and can be shaped into whatever size you might want. For the last couple of rounds of biscotti making I've been playing around with different variations on this recipe from King Arthur Flour. They call it American style biscotti because it is not quite as rock hard as some of the traditional Italian biscotti recipes. These cookies bake up crisp and light, crunchy without being teeth shattering. I think they have the perfect balance of crunchy sweetness to go alongside my cup of afternoon coffee. And the great thing about biscotti is they last for several weeks in an airtight container on you counter or in the cupboard. That means not having to worry about running out anytime soon or having them go bad. It is the perfect way to ensure you always have a sweet treat around for snacking on for those moments when you just need a little something to get yourself through the afternoon. 

These cookies are wonderful just straight up and plain, but for this batch I decided to go with a little drizzle of chocolate for a little added visual interests and of course to boost the flavor up just one more notch. This is a great recipe to use as a starting point for any number of wonderful combinations you might want to try. I've made several other batches that might make an appearance on the blog in the future. Really any dried fruit, any type of chocolate, or any nut/seed would make a wonderful add in. You can't go wrong so let your imagination go wild and give this recipe try. 

American Style Vanilla Biscotti

From 

King Arthur Flour

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18" x 13") baking sheet.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, almond extract (if you're using it), and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

Beat in the eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.

Plop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Divide it in half, and shape it into two 9 1/2" x 2" logs, about 3/4" tall. Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here. Sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired, pressing it in gently.

Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.

Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the logs, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.

Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp chef's knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1/2" to 3/4" slices. Or cut the biscotti on the diagonal, for fewer, longer biscotti. As you're slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they'll topple over during their second bake.

Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 25 to 30 minutes, until they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel a tiny bit moist in the very center, if you break off a piece; but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.

Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool. Store airtight at room temperature; they'll stay good for weeks.

Yield: 30 to 40 biscotti, depending on size.

Crackly Sugar Cookies

The simple sugar cookie: so simple, so basic, and so delicious.  Whether thin and crispy, thick, and chewy, or soft and tender, all are delicious in their own way. While I do love pretty much every sugar cookie there is, I am partial to the thick and chewy sort, but for whatever reason I have found it difficult to find the perfect recipe for this style sugar cookie. Every recipe I try seems to turn out more of a thin crispy cookie, still buttery and delicious, but missing that substantial chew that I am looking for. 

Thankfully, I recently stumbled across this recipe which has produced the best cookie yet! They are pretty thick (maybe not yet quite as thick as I'd like, but I can work on fixing that) and nice and chewy. With a nice crackly top that is covered in sugar they are a winner. I made them pretty big to ensure a nice soft and chewy center and a slightly crisp edge which was wonderful, but I'm sure a little smaller cookie would be just as delicious. With a base of butter, sugar and flour there is no way they couldn't be!

I baked up one batch of these cookies pretty quickly after I had made the dough because I needed them right away and they turned out very nice. The rest of the dough I put in the fridge to chill a little while and then baked them. This definitely helped the cookies stay a little thicker and even chewier, so if you have the time I would recommend chilling the dough before baking. But either way, if you're looking for a thick, chewy and delicious sugar cookie, look no further, this is it!

Crackly Sugar Cookies
Adapted from Chow.com
Ingredients

• 2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 cup sugar (sanding or granulated) for rolling cookies

Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Combine butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the bowl sides and bottom. Add yolks and vanilla, and mix on medium speed until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Add flour, baking soda, salt, corn starch and cream of tartar. Mix on low speed until dough comes together. Scoop dough by rounded tablespoons and roll between your hands until smooth.

Roll dough in sanding or granulated sugar to coat and place on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Bake cookies until they are golden brown around the edges but still soft in the center, about 16- 18 minutes. Immediately transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Yields: 9 very large (100 gram) cookies, approximately 455 calories each or 18 more average sized cookies, approximately 230 calories each