Morning coffee is equal parts necessary + nostalgic for me, taking me back to my grandma’s kitchen growing up. Food and drink have a strong connection with memories and I like to make them sweet. Coffee can be wonderful on it’s own, but sometimes it calls for a companion. Biscotti being the natural partner.

I created this recipe 2 years ago during my pregnancy with my second daughter, and it remains a family favorite to this day. Baking these with her now on the outside, watching the crumbs fall off her cheeks and our older daughter covered in the melted chocolate made this recipe even sweeter.

These are incredibly simple + would make a fantastic gift for the upcoming holidays. I freeze mine to lengthen their lifespan + enjoying the extra crunch the freezing process provides. Dipped in a hot cup of coffee, surrounded by friends or family and making memories – these round out some of my most favorite parts of my morning (or afternoon) routine. Recipe yields approximately 24 biscotti, depending on the width of which you cut them.

Ingredients:

• 1 stick butter, room temp
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. almond extract
• 1/2 cup cookie butter
• 1.5 cups unbleached all purpose flour (I used King Arthur)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup chopped natural almonds, unsalted
• 1/4 12 oz. bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300. Line two baking sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper.
2. Cream together butter and sugar in Kitchen Aid mixer about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides when finished.
3. Add eggs to butter mixture one at a time. Add almond extract and cookie butter and mix until blended.
4. Add flours, salt and baking powder and mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Do not overmix. Stir in chopped almonds.
5. Divide the dough in half and form two loaves, one on each baking sheet. Bake 40-45 minutes.
6. Remove the loaves from the oven and slice into 3/4″ pieces with a sharp knife. Lay each biscotti on it’s side, leaving space between each piece.
7. Return to the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until hardened.
8. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler and drizzle atop each biscotti. Serve cooled or store in the freezer.