Calgon, take me away!

I remember a TV commercial from my childhood where a woman who’s had a tough day says, “Calgon, take me away!” as she slips into a nice, hot bubble bath.

My Calgon? A cup of steaming, hot coffee and biscotti. Could there possibly be a yummier way to end a day? (Only if the coffee is a grande Starbucks soy latte!).

I generally make biscotti at the holidays, the family campout, and when my sister-in-law is coming up for a visit. I haven’t had any since New Year’s Day, so I’ve been craving them. My usual recipe uses eggs so I started working on a vegan recipe. Below is what I came up with and, I have to admit, they are delicious. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law and I all indulged in one this evening when they were here hanging out with me and the kids.

Dunked in coffee, they can definitely take all your cares away.

ALMOND JOY BISCOTTI
makes about 18 biscotti

3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 cup chopped, toasted almonds
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (regular chocolate chips if you aren’t vegan)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the flours, almonds, baking powder and salt. In a smaller bowl, mix together the sugar, applesauce, oil, and extracts. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well blended. Dust your hands with flour, then roll the dough into a ball. Shape into a log, approximately 2” wide by 11” long. Flatten the top so the log is about 3/4” thick.

Place the log on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack for 15 minutes. Lower the oven to 300 degrees. Carefully slice the log, on a diagonal, into 1/2” wide slices. Remove the parchment paper from the baking sheet and put the slices back on, standing upright. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until light brown on the bottom. Cool on a rack.

Melt the chocolate chips in a flat-bottomed bowl that is wider than the length of the biscotti. Dip the bottom of each slice into the melted chocolate and place onto a sheet of wax paper. Cool completely. Brew some coffee and enjoy!