Coffee Chocolate Chip Biscotti

I feel like I've given biscotti to almost every family member who I give baked goods to as a gift. OK, so this is an exaggeration: there are still a few to check off the list. Specifically, the one person I hadn't yet made it for is the one I wanted to: Chiara. My September Girl. I felt almost obligated. So I decided that's what I would make for her for her birthday this year.

As for the flavor, I didn't want to do a fall flavor. I didn't want to repeat the ones I'd done before and wasn't sure if she liked maple. There is one other flavor that she loves: coffee. You know all those memes and mugs that say things like "I can't function until I've had at least 2 cups of coffee"? Yeah, that's Chiara.

I wasn't sure if it would be easy to find a coffee-flavored biscotti recipe. After all, it's a cookie that is often eaten with a cup of coffee. Starbucks even has individually wrapped biscotti at their cash registers. Still, I was able to find one on Food.com, a site that posts recipes submitted by readers.

Coffee Chocolate Chip Biscotti (source)

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules, good quality
• 2 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄3 cup vegetable oil
• 1⁄2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• (The site gives adaptations for diabetics)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease baking sheet; cover with parchment paper.
2. Combine water and coffee granules in small bowl; stir until coffee is dissolved.
3. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda in small bowl.
4. Whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla extract and salt in large bowl. Whisk in oil and coffee mixture. Stir in morsels. Stir in flour mixture just until combined. (The dough was a bit too sticky at this point. I do wonder if I should've added a little bit more flour.) Cut dough in half; place each portion onto prepared baking sheet. Using floured hands, quickly stretch dough to form two flattened logs. (I'm a bit of a wuss and I'm not sure I floured my hands correctly. So I just did my best to form the logs with my spatula.)
5. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until set and almost firm. Let cool to room temperature.
6. Cut logs into 1-inch-thick slices using serrated knife. Lay slices on prepared baking sheet, cut-side-down and about 1 inch apart.
7. Bake, turning each slice over halfway through, for 15 minutes or until biscotti are slightly toasted and crisp. Let cool slightly on baking sheet; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Chiara was a bit rushed through her birthday presents so she didn't get a chance to try one. A week and a half, later, however, I asked her how she liked them. Her response? "They're almost gone!"