Cinnamon Chip Biscotti

I finally made cookies using cinnamon chips. I know it's not a new concept anymore- I feel like I am so behind on keeping up with all the cooking trends. I held off on buying the cinnamon chips because I am a freak when it comes to reading nutrition labels. When I read the label of the supermarket brand of cinnamon chips, I really didn't want to buy them anymore. It had lots of unhealthy ingredients and quite a bit of saturated fat. And I figured I could do without and just make cinnamon cookies the old fashioned way, with plain ol' cinnamon.

But recently I was in a local coffee shop and I saw the most beautiful cinnamon chip scones. And I got the bug to buy them again. So I figured I would ask the baker what kind of chips they use and if they were a premium quality. Sure enough, they were a better quality chip and he offered to sell me a pound. Yay, I was so excited. I smelled cinnamon in my car all day long and made the cookies the next day. My house smelled so wonderful while they were baking. Just for that reason alone, I think you should make these. You won't be disappointed!

Plus they are so easy to make. Here are the logs on the baking sheet before baking...
And here are the biscotti sliced and ready to go back into the oven...I usually only bake my biscotti between 5-8 minutes per side so that they are crispy but slightly soft, rather than break your teeth hard. I find that most people like them better that way. (Although I like the hard biscotti too, cause they're great for dipping in coffee or tea!)
Cinnamon Chip Biscotti
by Mixed Salad Annie

3 large eggs
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sugar
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
3/4 cup cinnamon chips
1 tablespoon cinnamon sugar

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine eggs, oil, and vanilla in a large bowl with an electric mixer or wire whisk. Add sugar and cinnamon; mix well. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into the egg mixture; mix until just combined. Add cinnamon chips, stirring by hand to combine. Dough will be sticky.

Using a rubber spatula, scoop small dollups of the dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet; forming 2- 16" long rolls. Smooth out the sides and tops of the rolls and leave enough space between each roll for spreading. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar over dough.

Bake at 325° for 20-30 minutes or until light golden and top springs back when touched. Let sheet cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Carefully remove the rolls from the baking sheet onto a cutting board.

Cut rolls diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place each slice- cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake 8 minutes. Turn cookies over; bake an additional 7-10 minutes (depending on how crisp you like your biscotti). Remove from baking sheet; let cool completely on a wire rack. They cookies will crisp up more as they cool.

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscotti

Breakfast Anyone?

I have been craving anything with cinnamon lately. It must be the crisp December air. Cold weather always makes me think of all the warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, etc. So it got me thinking of cinnamon cookies. Of course cookies are always on my mind, so this was not a far reach. ;) I was going to make snickerdoodles since I have never made them before, but I decided to go with biscotti at the last minute.

Biscotti are like a guilt free cookie to me. Because there is not a lot of fat used in most biscotti recipes, I feel like I can eat more of them. I made this recipe on an even healthier note. I used a lot less sugar than in a traditional biscotti. It also has lots of heart healthy whole grains in it. Since these biscotti are not overly sweet, they are perfect for breakfast or even a late night snack!

Cinnamon Breakfast Biscotti
by Mixed Salad Annie

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3 tablespoons wheat germ
3/4 cup natural sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 large egg whites and 1 whole large egg
2 tablespoons tub margarine, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cooking spray
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°.

Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; set aside.

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl, mixing with a whisk. With an electric mixer combine eggs, margarine, and vanilla on low speed. Add to flour mixture, mixing just until moist.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for about 1 minute. Shape dough into 2 16-inch-long rolls. Place rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper; flatten slightly and square off ends. Sprinkle reserved cinnamon sugar over dough; pushing down lightly with fingers.

Bake at 325° for 20 minutes. Place rolls on a cutting board; let cool 10 minutes. Cut each roll diagonally into (1/2-inch) slices. Place cookies on their sides back onto the baking sheet. Bake at 325° for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from baking sheet; let cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.