Welcome to GMA 25 Days of Cookies. For 25 days, we are featuring cookie recipes that are perfect to make for the holiday season. Our celeb BFFs are sharing their cookie recipes with us and we’ve gathered some seasonal standouts that are sure to dazzle on your Instagram feed and Pinterest board.
Head to our full guide here all month long for the most beautiful, fun, seasonal, delicious holiday cookies worthy of your new Christmas traditions.
Editor’s Picks
Tiffani Thiessen's chocolate biscotti recipe
Thiessen writes in her cookbook, "Pull Up a Chair," that these chocolate treats make a perfect gift.
Somewhere along the line, “biscotti” started to be synonymous with “cardboard.” True, these biscuits are supposed to have a drier, crispier texture than a typical cookie because they’re double baked. But that shouldn’t mean they have to be bland or boring.
I give mine a lighter twist with almond flour and agave, but the deep chocolaty flavor they get from cocoa and espresso powders is anything but dainty. These are just as good a couple of days after you’ve made them as they are fresh out of the oven.
In fact, I’d argue that I like them even more when they’ve had time to dry out a little because they’re even better for dipping in coffee or tea. These are also the perfect treat for packing up in pretty bags or tins as gifts.
Check out the full recipe with step-by-step instructions below.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs plus 1 large egg white
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste (see note below)
1 cup sliced almonds, toasted (see note below)
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
Makes 24 biscotti
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine the flours, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the sugar and butter on medium speed for 2 minutes. One at a time, add the eggs and egg white and mix until completely incorporated. Mix in the agave and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated.
Turn off the machine and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the toasted almonds and chopped chocolate.
On the prepared baking sheet, divide the dough in half and shape it into two 8-by-13-inch rectangles.
Bake for 35 minutes. Let the biscotti logs cool for 15 minutes. Transfer the logs to a cutting board and slice them into 1/2-inch-thick pieces.
Return the biscotti cut-side down to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 18 to 20 minutes more, until golden.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.
These will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
**Note on vanilla bean paste: In all the desserts -- and some sweet breakfasts -- in this book, you’ll notice that I call for vanilla bean paste instead of extract. There are a couple of reasonsfor this: It has a lovelier, more pronounced flavor, and you get all those pretty vanilla bean flecks in the finished product. I highly recommend making the switch! If extract is all you have, though, don’t let that keep you from making these recipes. You could absolutely use the same amount instead of paste.
**Note on toasting nuts and seeds: To toast just about any nut or seed, simply spread them in a single layer in a dry skillet and gently toast over medium-low heat until the nuts are fragrant and lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Give them a stir or a toss every so often so they toast evenly, and watch for any sign of burning. Remove from the pan to cool.
Chocolate biscotti is excerpted from Pull Up a Chair © 2018 by Tiffani Thiessen. Photography © 2018 by Rebecca Sanabria. Reproduced by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Head to our full guide here all month long for the most beautiful, fun and delicious holiday cookies that are sure to become a new tradition.
Tell us which cookies you're baking! Tweet @GMA using #25daysofcookies with your #25daysofcookies pictures and we may feature you on our GMA Facebook page or in our morning GMA newsletter! Deck the halls with lots of cookies, fa la la la la, la la la la!
Editor's note: This was originally published on Dec. 12, 2018.
