Nutella Biscotti

 

If you know Sue and I, then you know we are not normally fans of crunchy cookies. Soft and chewy is the way to go! Unless, of course, we are talking about biscotti. Dipping crunchy cookies into hot chocolate or coffee or tea makes them a million times more delicious!

I had a jar of Nutella to use up and decided that Nutella biscotti would be a good idea. Turns out I was right. I usually find Nutella too sweet (hard to believe, I know) but there is just the right amount in these cookies so the sweet is balanced out. Dip them in your favorite hot beverage for a lovely afternoon treat!.

Nutella Biscotti

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups flour

2 Tbsp baking cocoa powder

1 Tbsp baking powder

pinch salt

3 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

1 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup Nutella

Drizzle

1/4 cup Nutella

Directions

Preheat oven to 325. Line a large cookie sheet (or 2 regular sized) with parchment paper, set aside.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat together eggs until frothy, about 2 minutes. Beat in sugar for another 2 minutes. Beat in butter and vanilla. Lastly, beat in the Nutella, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed, until just combined. 

Divide dough into 2 equal pieces. Flatten into logs approximately 2 1/2 by 13 inches long. They should be about 3/4 inch thick. Place on prepared cookie sheet.

Bake at 325 for 30 minutes, rotating cookie sheet at the 15 minute mark. 

Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes.

Reduce oven to 300. Carefully transfer one of the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into 1/2 inch slices. Repeat with the other log. You should get 48 slices.

Place them back on the cookie sheet, cut side up. Place back in oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove tray from oven and carefully flip all the cookies so the the side that was touching the cookie sheet is now facing up. return to oven for 15 more minutes.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. 

Place the Nutella for drizzling in a plastic bag and microwave for about 10 - 20 seconds, just until warm. Snip the corner of the bag and drizzle the Nutella over the cooled biscotti. 

Store at room temp for a day or two, in the fridge for a week, or freeze them. 

Biscotti, on their own, seem to be a little dry to me..... BUT dip them in hot chocolate and *wow*.... jazz hands for sure happening over here. 

Biscotti take a little longer to make because of the double baking but for the little extra effort you get 4 dozen delicious, crunchy cookies to share with friends and family (or keep for yourself). FYI - These are great at Christmas time for a cookie exchange too. 

Giant Butter Tart Cinnamon Buns

 

Sue and I love to make hybrids of things. We take 2 different dishes and smush them together and come up with a third, also delicious thing. 

These treats, for example, are a combination of cinnamon buns and butter tarts. Are they the best thing on the planet? Well..... we don't like to make assumptions but..... maaaaaybe. 

What hybrid should we attempt next? Let us know in the comments if you have any suggestions for us!

In the meantime, whip up a batch of these ridiculously tasty buns which, by the way, do have a crazy butter tart taste when you eat the topping! 

Please don't tell us they are sweet. We are aware. If you can survive the sweetness of a sticky bun then you can survive these! :) 

Oh yeah, we also made them giant soooooo if you make "regular" sized buns you will get 2 dozen from this recipe. 

Giant Butter Tart Cinnamon Buns 

Ingredients

Dough

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1/2 cup sugar

4 1/2 tsp yeast

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 tsp salt

6 eggs

7 - 8 cups flour

Topping

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup corn syrup

1 Tbsp vanilla

2 eggs

1/3 cup butter, melted

pinch salt

1 1/2 cup currants

Filling

1 cup butter, softened

2 cups brown sugar

1 Tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Prepare dough - Heat buttermilk in the microwave until warm, about 2 minutes. (You don't want it too hot, about 105 - 110 degrees. You should be able to stick your finger into it without it being too uncomfortable). Whisk in sugar. Whisk in yeast and let sit for about 5 - 8 minutes to activate. 

Whisk together melted butter, salt, eggs and then whisk in the bubbly yeast mixture.

Stir in flour until a soft but not sticky dough forms. Knead dough on floured work surface for 2 minutes. Place into an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and place somewhere warm to rise for an hour. 

After an hour your dough should be double in size. 

While the dough is rising, prepare the topping:

Whisk together the brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, eggs, butter, and salt. Pour evenly into a 13 X 19 pan OR 2 - 9 X 13 pans. Sprinkle the currants evenly on top. Set aside. 

Prepare the filling by stirring together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

Roll the dough into a 24 X 17 rectangle and spread the filling over the dough.

Roll up, jelly roll style, and slice into 12 equal rolls about 2 inches wide. Place into the pan on top of the currants. Cover with a tea towel and place somewhere warm to rise for an hour.

When rolls have doubled in size, preheat oven to 350. 

Bake at 350 until tops of rolls are golden brown, about 30 minutes or so. Time will differ if you make the rolls smaller or if you use 2 pans instead of 1. Keep an eye on them,. 

Let cool for only about 5 minutes, any longer and they will stick in the pan.

Place a cookie sheet on top of the buns and very carefully invert the buns onto the cookie sheet. Tap the bottom of the pan to help release the buns. 

Let cool.

These are the next level up from sticky buns. 

The butter tart topping is thicker and stickier than regular sticky buns. Way more butter tart-y.

You can always half the recipe if you want to make 6 giant buns or 12 regular buns but WHY?! Gift them to people you love and they will love you even more OR freeze them for yourself to enjoy later!

It even kind of looks like a butter tart when you get down to the delicious middle of the bun. The middle is the best part, by the way, don't even argue. I actually had someone tell me they never ate the middle of the cinnamon bun. EXCUSE ME?!?! Who does that? 

Crazy people.... that's who.

Anyway, these are ridiculous and giant cinnamon bun butter tart hybrids are a fabulous idea. Let us know what you think if you try them and don't forget to tell us what hybrid needs to happen next!