When life gives you brown bananas

My roommate Kaitlyn cannot eat bananas if they have a spot on them, so as you can imagine, I often come into possession of raw materials for banana baked goods! There were two very brown bananas staring at me this morning, and I knew today was the time to act. Instead of banana bread, though, I wanted to do something a little more unconventional, like biscotti! I found this banana bread biscotti recipe and knew I had to give it a shot. For some unsettling reason, I didn't have any chocolate in the house, but I did add cinnamon and nutmeg to add a little extra something to the flavor. GOOD choice :) If you prefer milder flavor, skip the nutmeg and add chocolate along with the cinnamon.
I'm still a little conflicted about the texture, though - mine have a little more banana than the original recipe and I don't know if that contributed to the fact that they're not quite as crispy as I'd like. I think I'd go back to the original recipe listed below...

Banana Bread Biscotti
Adapted from Cookie Madness

1 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C all purpose flour
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C mashed banana (1 banana)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts (optional)
1/3 C chocolate chips (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, combine banana, oil, egg and vanilla and mix until well blended. Add the flour mixture, toasted pecans and chocolate chips to the banana mixture and stir just until combined. If the mixture seems dry, use your hands to mix until the dough comes together.
Shape into a 12-inch log. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten to about 4 inches across. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until firm and cracked on top. Transfer the logs to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes and reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees F.
Place log on a cutting board and cut diagonally into 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick slices. Place biscotti cut side down on the cookie sheet. Return them to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Flip them over and cook for another 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The rocky road to finals - made a little sweeter!

I am one of the lucky few this quarter who don't seem to have a midterm or paper due every week. However, I can certainly empathize and it gives me that extra motivation to create something delicious for those hungry brains...
I tried this Nutella biscotti recipe before and fell in love, so I thought I'd try making it rocky road (which is Jose's favorite ice cream flavor). I'm not sure how successful the marshmallows were because they tend to melt and basically vaporize when you bake them, so I think I'd leave those out in the future. Just the chocolate chunks are all you really need, but add the sliced almonds for a little extra crunch (and healthy monounsaturated fats). I'm a little obsessed with biscotti these days because they're just so darn sophisticated and yummy and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. So... bon appetit mes amis!

Nutella Rocky Road Biscotti
Adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

1 stick unsalted butter, softened
2/3 C sugar
1/2 C (6 oz) Nutella, room temperature
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 C all-purpose flour (or 1 3/4 C whole wheat flour and 1 C AP flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
~1 C dark chocolate chips (NOT optional)
~1/2 C toasted slivered almonds (optional)
~1/2 C mini marshmallows (optional)


Directions: Preheat oven to 350 F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until smooth, about 2-3 minutes.  Add the Nutella and beat to blend.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.
Add flour, baking powder and salt and beat on low speed just until combined. 
Add the chocolate and mix on low speed until just blended.

Divide the dough in half and place on parchment-lined baking sheet, shaping each half into a 13-inch log.  Press down on the logs to flatten them slightly until they are about 2 inches across.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the logs are firm to the touch.  Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack and let the logs cool completely.

Turn the oven down to 275 F. Use a serrated knife to cut the logs on the diagonal into 3/8-inch thick slices.  Place the cookies, cut side down, on parchment-lined baking sheets.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, until the cookies are dry.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Classy

If brownies are the girl next door, biscotti is sophisticated and intimidating but oh so sweet when you finally get up the nerve to talk to her :) They require a little extra effort, but I love sitting down with a cup of coffee and a slice of crunchy cookie.
These began as an attempt at white chocolate macadamia biscotti, but morphed into toasted slivered almond, white chocolate and dark chocolate whole wheat... You can definitely taste the whole wheat flour, but I like a nuttier flavor anyway and it feels much less sugary. The taste combination is subtle but quite yummy!

You can use the basic recipe for all kinds of mix-ins - try dried cranberries or cherries, other nuts, spices, etc.


Chocolate Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Joy of Baking
Yields about 16 biscotti

2 eggs
2/3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 3/4 C flour (whole wheat or all-purpose)

~1/2 C each of white chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips, dry roasted sliced almonds

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat sugar and eggs in a large bowl at high speed until thick, pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Beat in vanilla. Add dry ingredients to egg mixture and beat until combined. Add chocolate and almonds and mix to combine. Place dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and form into a rectangular log about 12 inches long and 4 inches wide. Bake for 25 minutes or until firm. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Slice log diagonally into slices about 3/4 inch wide. Place slices cut side down on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Flip slices and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool.