Biscoff Biscotti

Mom's aren't supposed to get sick.  It's a fact.  Kids can get sick and moms take care of them.  Dads get sick, the mom takes care of them too.  Even neighbors can get sick and moms help out with shopping or meals or a little treat to ease them on the road to recovery.  But moms?  They aren't supposed to get sick.

For the last 3 weeks, however, those sick "bugs" haven't been listening to my "moms don't get sick" mantra, and this mom has been sick.  Many thanks to those who left cold and flu remedies on our facebook page as well as for the well wishes that have come from all over the world.  My family has helped out as much as they could with laundry, dishes, etc.  But when it came to meals, my poor family has been stuck with Rubio's or the freezer.  Actually my 16-year old son has been happy as a clam with his frozen burrito bachelor life, and Liv has enjoyed sandwiches and salads from the deli next to the dance studio.  My husband luckily found himself on the road, away from all the germs and frozen foods, and I have been picking at whatever has been easy to put together.

Luckily, before the "sick bugs" took over, I had baked a batch of these Biscoff Biscotti based on our Nutella Amazing Race Biscotti.  After watching Biscoff recipe after Biscoff recipe churn through my Facebook Newsfeed, I once again seem to be on the tail end of a food craze.

Taking me a while to figure out that Biscoff Spread was indeed made up of those fabulous little cookies that the kind flight attendants on Delta pass out (they gave me extra on my last flight), I figured what could be better than cookies made of cookies??

Biscotti, with its long lasting shelf life and desirable crunchy bite, have long been a favorite of mine, and substituting Biscoff Spread for Nutella in our favorite biscotti version seemed a natural choice.  I found the dough to be irresistible, and the cookies baked up beautifully.

Not being able to wait until they cooled, my first bite of warm cookie brought a nice biscotti texture, but also a fairly bland cookie.  At first I was slightly disappointed and waited for the sliced and twice baked cookies to cool.  Upon second tasting, the texture brought the familiar fabulous biscotti crunch and crumb with only a hint of the original Biscoff flavor.  I did, however, find myself reaching for a second before turning away.  

Putting the cookies away for the night I brought them as a taste test for my carpool girls the next day, and received comments of, "MMm!  Just like a shortbread!", "Can I have more?" and "I give them an 8 out of 10!".  Asking what they thought of the flavor, all three girls said that the flavor was light, like shortbread, but that I was welcome to make them anytime.  Little Maggie from across the street, a certified Biscoff-aholic, claimed them to be "dreamy" and says she's going to be making her own.

I found these little guys grew on me as they "aged" a day or two and developed a taste reminiscent of those little Delta beauties, but that it was the texture that kept me returning.  Days later as my cold/flu raged on, I found the biscotti to be the perfect complement to a soothing cup of hot Green Tea or my morning cup of coffee (which my husband kindly prepared for me!).

Perfect a day or two after baking and with a long shelf life, these Biscoff Biscotti are somewhat bland, but bring a nice bite when in need of a little pick me up.  Ideal for those days when Mom is a little under the weather.

Biscoff Biscotti
The perfect biscotti texture reminiscent of those beloved Biscoff cookies found on Delta airline flights, these cookies had us all reaching for more.
Adapted from our Amazing Race Nutella Biscotti
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3 large eggs

1 egg yolk
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup + 2 Tbs Biscoff Spread
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg white

raw sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, 1 egg yolk  and 1 cup granulated sugar until well mixed.  Add 3/4 cup + 2 Tbs (or a scant 1 cup for easier measuring) Biscoff Spread and mix well.  Gently stir in flours, salt and baking powder.

Divide dough into 3 equal portions and form into three 10 to 12-inch logs on the prepared baking sheets. Brush logs with remaining egg white and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon raw sugar. Bake for 25 minutes, rotating baking sheet once after 15 minutes to ensure even baking.

Remove the biscotti from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs  into 1/2-inch (or slightly smaller if desired) slices.  Transfer the cookies back to the prepared baking sheet and stand them up... sort of like cutting the log into slices, then just spreading out the slices, but not laying them on their side.

Reduce the oven temperature to 300º and bake the biscotti for another 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the biscotti onto a wire rack for cooling.  Note that the cookies will crisp as they cool.

Store in an airtight container for up to a week... though I can can vouch that our were tasty even longer than that.