***For me, there aren't many flavors more decadent and yummy than coconut. At the same time, it can transport you to a sunny beach in the south pacific or bring back memories of your grandmother's coconut macaroons. Wherever you are, one thing is certain - this Coconut Biscotti could be said to have magical coconutty powers.
Earlier in the day, I surprised Brad with his own little personal heart-shaped birthday cake, which I made with the extra cake batter.
Here's a quick pic I was able to get of the inside of the cake, before it was devoured. ;-)
Now, I wanted to think of something special to make that would go along with Brad's cake. After some debate and brain-storming, I had a plan...Biscotti! For one thing, biscotti and coffee go together like rock and roll, salt and pepper, shake and bake...well, you get my point. Because the cake had coconut flavoring baked into it, I knew that Coconut Biscotti just might be the perfect thing! In the end, it paired beautifully with the coffee and coconut flavors of the cake. Picture this - A decadent slice of dark chocolate coconutty cake, a heaping spoon-full of creamy vanilla ice cream over the top, and a steaming cup of coffee and coconut biscotti on the side. This folks, was the yummy dessert that we enjoyed on Brad's birthday. Perfection!
Make this Coconut Biscotti soon...You'll be convinced of it's magical powers in no time! Like all biscotti, it's best dipped into a hot cup of your favorite coffee, which makes it just the right consistency. You could also dip half of each biscotti into melted chocolate. In fact, that was my original plan, but Brad loved it just the way it was.
Bon Appetit!!***
Coconut Biscotti
Source: Adapted from Cooking Light magazine, April 2005
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tsp coconut extract
2 large eggs
1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Directions:
Preheat oven to 300°.
Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through nutmeg) in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Place sugar, vanilla, coconut extract and eggs in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 2 minutes or until thick. Add flour mixture and flaked coconut, stirring to combine (dough will be very sticky). Turn the dough out onto a heavily floured surface and knead lightly 7 or 8 times. Shape the dough into a 15 x 3-inch log and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone liner. Pat the log to 1-inch thickness and bake at 300° for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack.
