Biscotti with apricots and Chocolate

Christmas and the New Year are just around the corner. Since we can’t have our usual Christmas activities with friends and family maybe this is the time and the year to enjoy some peace and quiet, to be reflective, to light a candle and find things that make us happy.
​ I am trying!

I am decorating the house for myself (my husband and son could care less) by putting up a few things that weren’t stored in the attic. I bought some new things at a local store just to support them. Several nights ago, I watched the sunset with my German girlfriend who lives next door. We shared some Glühwein (mulled hot wine) and we had fun sitting in her garden. I am trying out some new cookie recipes and was pleased with these apricot chocolate biscotti. It is a real treat to dip one of them into my morning coffee or afternoon tea. The biscotti are chewy with the fruity flavor of apricots and orange flavored semisweet chocolate. I am happy to add them to my baking arsenal and make them again.

These little  gingerbread house ornaments make a great project for children. A warning though, cutting the graham crackers for the tiny house ornaments can test your patience.

I am contemplating making my French country pâté, giving a little to my friends and freezing some. Instead of taking it to a party I can have it for lunch.

If you are looking for cookie recipes, here some suggestions: gluten free hazelnut meringue cookies, or Basler Brünsli, made with chocolate, almonds and some Christmas spices.

My mini muffins with blueberries are a little labor intensive but oh so good. They are my son’s favorite.

review recipe for gingerbread christmas ornaments​

review recipe for country pâté

review recipe for christmas cookies

For this recipe I used unsulfured dried apricots that were soft. I love orange flavored chocolate but any other semi-sweet chocolate would be fine. Both, the butter and the eggs should be at room temperature.The biscotti are easy to make but it takes some time to bake them twice.  Make sure you don’t burn them.  If you want more chocolate, dip one half of the biscotti into melted chocolate.  I didn't do that. They will keep in a tin for several weeks.

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Ingredients:​

This recipe makes about 45 biscotti 

5 oz (1¼ cups) ( 125g)  dried apricots
3.5 oz (100g) semisweet chocolate 
9 ¾ oz (2 cups) (280g) unbleached white flour)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon 
¼ tsp salt 
2 oz (4 TBS) (60) g soft butter 
6 oz (¾ cup) 175 g sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3 oz (¾ cup) (100g)  slivered dry roasted almonds

Directions:
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Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 350˙Fahrenheit
Cut the apricots and chocolate into small pieces. 
Stir the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.  
Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until creamy. Add the eggs one after another. Add the vanilla. 
Add the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until incorporated. Don’t over mix. Add the apricots, almonds and chocolate and mix them into the dough.
Divide the dough into 2 equal parts and form 2 loaves (10 inches long and 3 inches wide) next to each other on the cookie sheet. Using floured hands will help with forming the loaves. Bake the loaves for twenty minutes, remove them from the oven and let them cool for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325˙Fahrenheit.
Cut the loaves with a serrated knife into ⅔ inch slices. Put biscottis on two baking sheets and back each for about 20 minutes at 325˙ Fahrenheit. Make sure they don’t  brown too much. Some of mine had baked just a little bit too long. Cool the biscotti and put them in a tin.
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Guten Appetit!
Translated from a German recipe (Lecker)
By ©Sunnycovechef.com
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