Chocolate Toffee Biscotti #creativecookieexchange

So is everyone else knee deep in cookie baking this month? I know I am! I love to bake and give homemade cookies for Christmas gifts.

 

The theme for this month's Creative Cookie Exchange was biscotti. Biscotti are actually the perfect cookie for gift giving. They ship well and stay fresh for several days. I have to admit that I'm not the biggest fan of biscotti. They tend to be dry and crumbly, in desperate need of dunking, while I tend to lean towards soft, chewy cookies. These Chocolate Toffee Biscotti, however are different. Due to the addition of chocolate chips and chocolate covered toffee bits in the dough, they are not as dry as the usual biscotti. The chocolate coating on the toffee bits melts into the dough while baking, giving it added moisture, while the toffee bits surprise you with little bursts of caramel crunch. The chocolate glaze and additional sprinkling of toffee bits add an extra layer of flavor.
 

This batch of Chocolate Toffee Biscotti is being gifted to a special friend/co-worker for her birthday. She happens to love biscotti and chocolate. I hope she enjoys eating them as much as I enjoyed baking them!

 

 

Chocolate Toffee Biscotti

Make about 18 cookies
Adapted from

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup natural cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
2 tablespoons hot water
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips coarsely chopped
1 cup chocolate covered toffee bits (like Heath or Skor)
Egg wash (1 large egg beaten with 2 tablespoons cold water)

Topping:
1 cup dark chocolate chips melted
1 cup chocolate covered toffee bits

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350f and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a small bowl, combine the hot water and espresso powder and stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Place flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in a medium size bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy (approx. 2 minutes).

Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and the paddle. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, at low speed, mixing just until combined.

Add the espresso mixture and mix on low speed just until combined. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and paddle.

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined. Add the chocolate chunks and toffee beats and mix  on low speed just until distributed.

Dump the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and divide in half. Shape each half into a log approx. 8" long x 1.5" wide making sure each log is approx. 5" apart on the baking sheet since the dough will spread. Brush lightly with egg wash.

Bake approx. 25 minutes or until set and the dough looks done in the center. Remove from oven and place baking sheet on a cooling rack to cool.

Remove the cooled logs and place on a cutting board. Slice into 3/4" thick slices using a serrated knife (cut straight or on a diagonal). It is very important that the biscotti are completely cool before you cut them. Cutting while warm may cause them to break.

Place the cut biscotti back onto the baking sheet and return to the 350f oven. Bake another 6-8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on the baking sheet.

To glaze the biscotti - melt the chocolate chips and drizzle the chocolate over each cookie. Sprinkle with toffee bits.

Allow the chocolate to set before storing.

Store at room temperature in an air tight container for  up to days.

Biscotti (or mandelbrot or any other twice baked cookie by any other name) are one of the perfect Holiday tin cookies! They last forever, and there are so many ways to make them festive. So we’ve got you covered--sweet, savory, low fat, loaded with decadence, you name it, we’ve got it! Happy Holidays!

You can also use us as a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board and our monthly posts (you can find all of them here at The Spiced Life). You will be able to find them the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month! Also, if you are looking for inspiration to get in the kitchen and start baking, check out what all of the hosting bloggers have made:

• Almond Lemon Biscotti by Basic N Delicious
• Banana Walnut Biscotti by Upstate Ramblings
• Chocolate Almond Biscotti by Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chocolate Toffee Biscotti by Live Bake Love
• Currant Walnut Biscotti by Magnolia Days
• Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti by Flours and Frostings
• Gingerbread Biscotti by Food Lust People Love
• Gluten Free Chocolate Biscotti by What Smells So Good?
• Holiday Biscotti Bar by The Spiced Life
• Honey Beescotti by Oven Delights
• Mocha Biscotti by A Baker's House
• Orange Pistachio Biscotti by 2 Cookin' Mamas
• Parmesan Black Pepper Biscotti by A Shaggy Dough Story
• Peppermint Kahlua Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti by All That's Left Are The Crumbs
• White Chocolate Glazed Gingerbread Biscotti by Christmas Tree Lane

"Not Your Average Blond-ie"

I call this recipe "Not Your Average Blond-ie" because it's so much more than just a regular blondie. It's big, it's bad, it's bodacious, packed full of butter, dark brown sugar, 2 types of nuts, 2 types of chocolate, toffee bits and coconut. How can you go wrong with that combination?

 

 

I adapted this recipe from one of my all-time favorite Cook Books, Sticky, Gooey, Messy, Chewy: Desserts for the Serious Sweet Tooth by Jill O'Connor. I bought this book several years ago at a signing at William Sonoma. I just happened to walk into the Fashion Valley store (just to browse) when I saw Jill giving samples of her Everything But the Kitchen Sink Cookies. Seriously, a single bite of that cookie changed my life. It was as if the clouds parted and the Cookie Gods shone down from heaven. No exaggeration....

 

Now, I'm not trying to sell the book, but if you are looking for a great baking cook book, this one needs to be on your book shelf for sure. First of all, the name. Who can resist it? Second, the book is super cute and has lots of pictures. Third, the names of the recipes alone will make your mouth water - Chocolate Caramel Pecan Souffle Cake, Cinnamon Donut Bread Pudding, Double Crumble Hot Apple Pies....I mean, come on now people....

 

Needless to say, I bought not one but two autographed copies of the book (one I gave to Yvonne). Each and every single recipe I have tried has been mind blowing and this one was no exception. Take it from me, this is "Not Your Average Blondie".

 

 

 

 

"Not Your Average Blond-ie"

Makes 24 square bars

 

Ingredients

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar (be sure to use dark brown, it's essential to the flavor)
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut halves, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup whole raw almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 cup toffee bits (I used Heath Toffee Bits)
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)

Directions:

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350f

Line a 13"x9" metal baking pan with non-stick foil or spray regular foil with non-stick spray.

Combine flour and baking powder in a small bowl. Set aside.

Melt butter and brown sugar in a medium heavy bottom saucepan over medium heat. Cook stirring constantly until the butter and sugar are melted and starting to bubble gently.  Remove from heat and allow to cool approx. 10-15 min (stir occasionally to help cool the mixture down).

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and salt. Slowly whisk in the cooled butter-brown sugar mixture whisking just until combined.

Whisk in the flour mixture to form a loose batter. At this point, make sure your batter is cool to ensure you do not melt the chips when they are added.

Stir in the nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, white chocolate chips and toffee.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth to an even layer with a rubber spatula.

Bake approx. 30-40 minutes until the surface is glossy and golden brown, slightly cracked around the edges and feels firm to the touch. A toothpick inserted should come out with a few moist crumbs.

Remove and place the pan on a wire cooling rack. Cool to room temperature before cutting.

Store leftover bars tightly covered for up to 3 days.

The Perfect Toffee Bars

The Perfect Toffee Bar’s (adaption from better home and garden)

This is the type of recipe that is perfect for a gift and super easy to make. I needed something to make last week for a house warming party. Once again I looked at what I had in my pantry and found that I had ½ a bag of toffee bits. Hmmmm..what to make…what to make! I did a little searching and found a recipe for Toffee bars in a old cook book I had.  I have now made the recipe twice and I think this new and improved recipe is amazing.  Added a bit more toffee , a bit more pecans and a more CHOCOLATE of course!  I hope you enjoy These PERFECT TOFFEE BARS.  Perfect for a holiday treat for your friends and family or yourself of couse!
Happy cooking!

½ cup unsalted butter softened
¾ packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup pecans
½ cup toffee pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees


1. Mix together with electric mixer soften butter.

2. Add brown sugar, egg and vanilla to butter.  Beat until will combined.

3. Add flour and salt to egg mixture till all combined.

4. Pull out a 13x9x2 in glass baking dish , ungreased and
 spread the cookie mixture on the pan in a even layer. (two things, do not spray oil or put wax paper,tried both and it makes it hard to to them out, experience talking here )
5. Bake for 15 minutes. The sides will be come a light brown and the top will be dry.
6. Once your remove from oven, immediately sprinkle the cup of chocolate chips evenly over baked cookie. Wait about 3-5 minutes.  The chocolate chips will melt. Using a spatula, spread the chocolate evenly over the cookie until the chocolate completely cookie.

7. Mix together the ½ cup of chopped pecans and ½ cup toffee pieces and
Sprinkle over the chocolate. Using your hand, gently press the pecan and toffees into the chocolate.

8. Cut into bars and put on a baking rack to cool. Chocolate will be come hard.  If you need them faster for a party , like I did. I popped them into the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
ENJOY

Toffee Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

Toffee Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

It’s all about cookies today!!  Have you ever had one of those days when you are just craving a cookie!  Well that was me on Wednesday!  I wanted a cookie, but wasn’t in the mood for just a plain chocolate chip cookie, so I hit the pantry again to see what I had… What do I find but a nice bag of Toffee Bits.  If you have never used Toffee Bits in your baked goods, grab a bag!  They are wonderful.  Usually they are more readily available during the holidays.  Faye posted a recipe using them last year called “Insanely Good Salted Toffee Chocolate Bars”. That recipe is addicting! You must try it along with the “TOFFEE CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT COOKIES” J!   So I decided to make a cookie using the Toffee Bits, Chocolate Chips and Walnuts. I love nuts in cookies. Funny, that is one ingredient that people vary on… nuts or no nuts in cookies.  I’m a nut person, but I bet they are just as wonderful without them. Back to the cookies, these cookies are soft, sweet , delicious and super easy to make!!.  The Toffee Bits give the cookie a wonderful sweet and salty flavor.  Since they melt a bit, they keep the cookies nice and soft even till the next day.  Definitely satisfied my cookie craving!  I hope you give them a try.

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups All Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

½ teaspoon Salt

½ cup Unsalted Butter (softened)

¾ cup Granulated Sugar

¾ cup Light Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

2 eggs (room temp)

1 cup Toffee Bits (Heath sell a bag that is usually by the chocolate chips.  You find it during the holidays)

½ cup Chocolate Chips

½ chopped Walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350  (makes about 30 cookies)

1.       Add a piece of parchment paper to your cookie sheet. (Trust me, it worth the extra buy on the parchment paper so the cookies do not stick to your cookie sheet due to the sugar in the toffee.

2.       In a medium size bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt.  Using a whisk, mix and set aside.

3.       In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and both sugars.  Beat till combined and creamy. Add the vanilla and eggs. Beat till combined, but do not over beat.

4.       Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, beat until all flour has been incorporated.

5.       Mix in the Toffee Bits, chocolate chips and walnuts in a bowl.  

6.       Add the toffee mixture to cookie dough, stir in with a spoon till all mixed in.

7.       Using an ice cream scoop, make cookie dough ball and put on to cookie sheet with parchment paper.

8.       Bake for about 10-11 minutes.

9.       Cool on cookie sheet for about 2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

 

10.   ENJOY!!!

Insanely Good Salted Toffee Chocolate Bars

This is a bonus posting this week because I could not wait one single minute longer to share this recipe with you. Last night at Book Club (I know, sounds geeky, but we actually have a lot of fun) the conversation turned to the topic of food, as it usually does. One of the girls raved about a Martha Stewart recipe for a Salted Toffee Chocolate Bar that her husband calls "Crack". We immediately looked up the recipe and wouldn't you know, I had all of the ingredients to make them in my pantry! I love it when that happens. The recipe is so easy and quick, I made some this morning.

"Insanely Good" Salted Toffee Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:
13 graham crackers
1 8oz bag toffee bits (such as Heath)
1 1/2 cups natural almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 c unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/2 c granulated sugar
1 1/4 c bittersweet chocolate, chopped (the recipe calls for 3/4 c but I like a lot of chocolate)
1/2 tsp coarse kosher salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Line a rimmed baking sheet (mine was 17"x 13") with nonstick aluminum foil or spray regular foil with non-stick spray.

Place graham crackers in a single layer on the baking sheet.

Sprinkle the toffee bits and almonds evenly over the graham crackers.

In a medium size heavy saucepan, melt butter and sugar over medium-high heat stirring occassionally to combine and bring to a rolling simmer. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook for 2 minutes swirling the pan occassionally to prevent scorching.

Remove from heat and immediately pour over the prepared graham cracker layer as evenly as possible.

Bake until sugar/butter topping is bubbly (approx 12 minutes). Remove from oven and sprinkle the chocolate chunks evenly over the top. Sprinkle with salt.



Yumm chocolate....



Here's a closer look at the chocolate....

Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 2" squares. This needs to be done while still warm. Allow to cool completely, then remove from the baking sheet. Store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week (if they last that long!)

Source: Martha Stewart

Salted Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies

LiveBakeLove is gearing up for our Christmas Cookie baking extravanganza this weekend. It's an annual event I've hosted every year for the past 10 years but it will be the very first time we'll be posting it on our blog so we're very excited about that. We have an amazing assortment of cookies planned...chocolate-dipped, fruit-filled, crispy, chewy, bars, balls, fudge, traditional & non-traditional...we have something for everyone. We hope you'll check back next week for some delicious cookie recipes that we hope will make it on your holiday cookie platter this year.

So with the upcoming cookie craziness, why am posting a cookie recipe? Because I had a sudden craving for Chocolate Chip Cookies! Ok, it actually wasn't sudden. I crave chocolate pretty much on a daily, wait... make that hourly basis, and cookies are my absolute favorite. Besides, a girl can never have too much chocolate in her life....

Salted Toffee Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Adapted from Blue Eyed Bakers
Makes 20 Whoopie Pie sized cookies or approx 3 dozen regular sized cookies

Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup of packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces of good quality semi-sweet chocolate, chopped into large chunks (I used Ghiradelli)
1 cup of toffee bits (I used Heath)

Preheat oven to 350

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using an electric hand mixer), cream together the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy (approx 3-5 minutes).

Add eggs and vanilla and beat at medium speed until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks and toffee bits.

Using a large cookie scoop, scoop dough into the Whoopie Pie pan and press down. Alternately, if you are not using a Whoopie Pie pan, scoop the dough onto parchment lined baking sheets.

Bake at 350 until lightly golden brown and set. Approx 13 minutes if using the Whoopie Pie pan. Baking time will be less if baking on regular baking sheets.

Cool for a few minutes in the pan (or on the baking sheet), then remove and cool on a wire rack. Or you can do what I always do and eat them warm out of the oven!

Store in an air tight container.

Oh, did I mention the Whoopie Pie pan? I just bought it recently and I love it! Pick one up for yourself and try it out.