CHOCOLATE-MINT BISCOTTI
Adapted from Delicious, a freebie magazine at my local grocery store--I
used less sugar, egg substitute (I used Eggbeaters) instead of eggs, and
whole wheat pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour. If you left out
the chocolate chips, you'd have Mint Biscotti that would be very
low-fat. I might also try adding some cocoa along with the flour
(perhaps replacing some of it) to make them chocolate without the fat of
the chips.
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup (packed) whole mint leaves
substitute for 2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grind sugar and mint leaves in a food processor for 30 seconds.
Transfer to a medium bowl, add egg substitute and vanilla, and whisk
until blended (this is the only liquid in the recipe, so if you use
something like Ener-G you may need to use more water than usual).
In another bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold this into egg
mixture, along with chocolate chips, until mixed. Dough will be sticky.
3. Divide dough in half. Wet your hands, shake off excess water. Line a
baking sheet with parchment paper and shape each half into a log about
11 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1/2 inch high. Leave about 2 inches
between logs.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and lower heat
to 325 degrees. Cool pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Transfer logs to
a cutting board and cut crosswise with a serrated knife into 3/4-inch
slices. Place slices, standing up, on parchment-line baking sheet (I
turned the parchment paper over), spaced slightly apart. Bake for 10 to
15 minutes more, until crisp. Transfer to racks to cool.
Makes about 24-30 biscotti, crisp but not so tough that they have to be
dunked in coffee.
Jane Colman