Peppermint Biscotti

I enjoy experimenting with new flavours of biscotti at Christmas. This year, I made two old standards (apricot/almond and double chocolate) and then tried peppermint. I just used my standard recipe and changed the flavour extracts and additions. I made these without additions to let the peppermint have the spotlight, but you could also add white chocolate chips. My original thought was to dip them in icing and then in crushed candy canes, which would have been good if I didn’t accidently buy CHERRY flavoured ones. LOL. My daughter read the box and saved us from disaster after only dipping two. We tasted them to see if cherry and peppermint get along well….let me tell you that they do not. Blechk. So…we changed the plan and went with dipping in peppermint icing and then red and white sanding sugar. They taste good and still look festive. Dipped in hot chocolate, they are scrumptious.

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cup sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons peppermint extract

1. Mix flour and baking powder; set aside. In mixing bowl beat butter 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat till fluffy. Add eggs and peppermint extract; beat till combined. Add half of flour mixture; beat till combined. Add remaining flour.

2. Divide dough into 4 pieces. Shape piece into 9x2x1 ½-inch logs. Place logs 4 inches apart on two cookie sheets with parchment. Stir together 1 beaten egg yolk and 1 tablespoon of milk. Brush over logs.

3. Bake logs in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes, or until they provide resistance when pressed. Cool on sheet 30 minutes.

4. Cut each log diagonally into half-inch slices. Lay slices, cut side down, on the parchment-covered cookie sheets you just used. Bake in 325 F oven 8 minutes. Turn slices over. Bake 10 minutes more or until crisp and dry. Transfer to wire rack to cool and firm up.

Icing:

To 1 cup icing sugar, mix with enough milk to make the icing a consistency suitable for dipping (1-3 tbsp.).  Add 1 tsp. peppermint extract.

Dip cookies in icing, and then in sprinkles or sanding sugar. Let dry on racks.