Best of Betterbaking.Com

Tiramisu Biscotti The BB test kitchen has a lot of fun taking one concept (in this case, the flavors of trendy tiramisu) and making it in another form (in this case, biscotti). This cookie features a vanilla layer, followed by candied pecans, a sludgy layer of chocolate biscotti batter, and a topping of crisp coffee flavor. 1 cup chopped pecans 3 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter, melted 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (such as Tia Maria) 3 eggs 2 teaspoons baking powder 3/8 teaspoon salt 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons freeze-dried coffee or instant espresso powder 2 tablespoons hot water 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, melted Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Stack 2 baking sheets together and line the top one with parchment paper. Set aside. Line another baking sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the pecans and dust with the 3 tablespoons sugar. Bake the nuts for 10 to 15 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the nuts cool on the sheet for about 15 minutes. Leave the oven at 350 degrees F. In a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together until fluffy. Blend in the vanilla, coffee liqueur, and eggs. Stir in the baking powder, salt, flour, and 1 tablespoon of the coffee. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons dried coffee with the hot water. Turn out one-third of the dough onto the doubled baking sheets and shape into a 9 by 5-inch oblong. Pat the pecans into the dough. Place half of the remaining dough in a medium bowl and stir half of the chocolate into it. Pat this chocolate dough on top of the vanilla-pecan dough. For the remaining dough, stir in the brewed coffee with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Pat this dough onto the chocolate dough. Place in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until set. Remove the biscotti from the oven and lower heat to 325F. Let the biscotti cool on a rack for 20 minutes, then cut on the diagonal into slices about 1/2 inch thick. Distribute on the prepared baking sheets. Place the doubled sheets on the bottom shelf of the oven and the single sheet on the middle shelf. Bake, turning once, for 12 to 15 minutes, or until dry. Remove and let cool on a rack for 30 minutes, or until completely cooled. Dip the end of each biscotti in the remaining chocolate and let cool until the chocolate is set. MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN BISCOTTIGoldman, Marcy is the author of 'Best of Betterbaking.Com' with ISBN 9780679311614 and ISBN 0679311610.