Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti

It's starting to get way too cold to exercise here (the high for the past couple days has been in the 30s) so I've done a 180 in my new favorite way to pass the time - baking! Every Tuesday and Thursday, our coffee break features a baked goodie, so last night I jumped in the kitchen and tried out this incredible Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti recipe from Annie Eats (who got it from Joy the Baker). The cinnamon/sugar combination seemed just right for the cool fall weather and they were perfect dunked in coffee.

I started out with a major problem. The hand mixer doesn't work. Which means I had to mix by hand...and by the way, is that stuff butter? I have no idea but it's close enough.

Pretty sure Tony Horton (founder of P90x) would be proud of the arm workout I got from creaming and beating everything together. Voila - uncooked "logs"

After a whirl in the oven:

Annnddd a second time. "Biscotti" means twice-baked, of course!

I didn't get a chance to take a picture of them in all their serving-tray-glory but they looked adorable and tasted fabulous. Thanks Annie!

Annie's Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti
Yields: 20-24 cookies
Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour (I think I used cake flour but it was all we had and I don't know French)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

For the topping:
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon (I may have used a little more. I LOVE cinnamon)
1 large egg, lightly beaten

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C but I guestimated - our oven is not that exact). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt; whisk to blend and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer (...or just another bowl...), cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed (or give your arm a workout) until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the egg and then the egg yolk, beating well (pain is beauty, baby, stir that thang!) after each addition. Blend in the vanilla until incorporated. With the mixer on low speed (trust me, your arm will be on LOW speed by this point), blend in the dry ingredients just until incorporated and a dough is formed.

Divide the dough into two halves. Shape each half into a log 9 inches long by 1 1/2 inches wide on the prepared baking sheet, spacing the logs at least 3-4 inches apart. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon for the topping and stir to blend well. Lightly brush the tops of the logs with the beaten egg, and sprinkle generously with some of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through baking, until the tops are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. remove the pan from the oven but maintain the oven temperature. Once the logs are cool enough to handle, slice on the diagonal (this is easier said than done) into 1 1/2-inch slices (about 10-14 per log). Place biscotti cut side-down on the baking sheet and sprinkle with more of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes, until crisp and golden.