Honey Wheat Biscotti

First, some recent eats! 

With the amazing warm weather we’re having this week, I am so excited to once again crave a nice cold protein shake!!  I love shakes, but never want them if I’m feeling the least bit cold. 

I had a somewhat late breakfast yesterday so I whipped this baby up for lunch/snack:

• 3/4 cup skim milk
• 1/2 frozen banana
• frozen strawberries and blueberries
• protein powder
• 1 T of chia seeds!

Refreshing and filling.

Breakfast this morning.

I totally went to the grocery store a little hungry recently.

And with that comes things I don’t need.

I don’t really know what the difference is between these “Breakfast” thins and any other “thin”.

They aren’t bad, but once you toast them they pretty much become crackers.

Still I enjoyed my 100-calorie Breakfast Thin with half butter half cream cheese.

Siggi’s vanilla yogurt with berries on the side.

 

Then it was time to bake!

I blame this on my mom, but more often than not I crave a baked good with my morning coffee (in her case, tea).  I wasn’t always like this, but its just getting worse and worse.  Something about a fresh baked….anything…with a rich cup of coffee…it’s a match made in heaven.

So that is why I try to make my baked goods more wholesome and healthier.

Biscotti is great.  It’s hard, so you eat it slower.  You can dip it in your coffee or tea.  And generally they have less fat, as they don’t need a delicate or moist texture like other baked goods.

These biscotti are made with white whole wheat flour and all purpose flour, olive oil, a little sugar and a little honey.

I wanted to make some with nuts, and some without for a friend.  So before I added any of the mix-ins, I divide up the dough and went from there.

Honey Wheat Biscotti (with nuts and/or dried fruit)
Based on this Ellie Krieger recipe and this recipe.

• 1.5 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 nuts (almonds, pistachios, walnuts…your choice)
• 1/4 cup chopped dried fruit (cherries, cranberries…your choice)
• 1/4 cup white or regular chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 325

In a mixing bowl, combine flours, salt, and baking powder; whisk together.  In another bowl, beat sugar, honey, eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest, and vanilla.  Beat until well combined.

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet, forming a sticky dough.

(here is where I divided the dough into two separate bowls.)

Mix in your nuts, fruits, and/or chocolate.  Use your hands, its easier. 

I did 1 log with almonds

and the other with chopped dried cherries and white chocolate chips.

Can I just say these are the best dried cherries ever! (from Trader Joes)

Shape dough into two logs, approximately 2” wide by 8” long.

Transfer logs to a baking sheet lined with a sil pat or parchment paper.

Baked logs for 25 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack for about 15 min, and reduce oven temp to 300.

Then slice logs into 3/4” pieces on the diagonal.

Place cut cookies back on baking sheet, and bake for 10 min.  Flip cookies over, and continue baking for 8-10 min.

Let cool, and enjoy!  

They are dry like biscotti should be, but at the same time they won’t break your teeth if you try to bite into it! 

You can ever so slightly taste the honey.  I bet Ellie’s original version with pistachios would be awesome!!

Really looking forward to coffee tomorrow morning :)

These were really simple and straight forward, plus I love all the possibilities for mix-ins.  They also made for a nice little gift when placed in a clear bag. 

Biscotti fans out there??