Cinnamon Red Hot Biscotti Cookies

Cinnamon Red Hot Biscotti Cookies are a wonderfully crunchy cookie for snacking and dunking! Crushed Red Hots candy are the special ingredient that turns the dough pink and adds cinnamon flavor. These spiced biscotti are particularly scrumptious with a cup of tea!  

 In general, I’m not much of a candy eater. I like candy, I just don’t crave it and I rarely have any candy other than chocolate in our house.

When I was growing up, my maternal grandmother always had candy in a divided glass box which she kept on her living room coffee table. I have that box now and keep sea shells in it!

But when my grandmother owned the box, it was filled with coffee hard candies in cellophane wrappers, black licorice, and nonpareils chocolates. As a child, I found the candy out of that glass box to be particularly delicious, and black licorice remains a favorite flavor.

Now when I buy candy, it’s because I am going to bake with it! Most often I use chocolate candy. I’ve made all kinds of things with chocolate, from Kiss Cookies to Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

Cinnamon Red Hot Biscotti Cookies uses Red Hots candy for color and flavor. The pink and red are great Valentine colors (Christmas,too!), but once you take a crunchy bite of these biscotti, you won’t want to wait for holidays to make them!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RED HOTS CANDY

Red Hots candy was first made in the 1930’s and has been enjoyed by cinnamon lovers ever since! This tiny red candy adds a splash of color and flavor when used in baked goods and beverages.

WHAT ARE RED HOTS CANDY?

Red Hots candy are small, round, red candies with a hot cinnamon flavor. The generic name for Red Hots is cinnamon imperials.

WHAT MAKES RED HOTS HOT?

Cinnamaldehyde oil, a chemical found in cinnamon bark, gives Red Hots candy their spicy cinnamon flavor.

HOW DO YOU CRUSH RED HOTS?

Red Hots can be pulsed in a blender or small food processor. Just a few pulses turns the candies into mostly powder.

The candy can also be crushed by hand. Place the Red Hots in a zip lock bags and use a rolling pin to crush the candy until coarsely ground.

HOW TO MAKE A BISCOTTI RECIPE WITH CINNAMON RED HOTS

Cinnamon Red Hots turn this basic vanilla biscotti recipe into eye catching pink cookies with delicious cinnamon flavor!

1. Combine the ingredients to create the dough. On the prepared baking sheet, shape the dough into two smooth 9”x 2”logs, about 3/4″ thick.
2. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool on the pan about 5 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature.
3. With a serrated knife, cut the log crosswise into 1/2” – ¾” slices.
4. Stand the biscotti on the prepared baking sheet, each cookie slightly separated. Return the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until dry and beginning to turn golden around the edges.

TIPS AND VARIATIONS FOR CINNAMON RED HOT BISCOTTI COOKIES

Biscotti look impressive, but are actually very simple to make. The finished cookies can be decorated or enjoyed without further embellishment.

• These biscotti have a sweet cinnamon flavor. If you want more hot and spicy cinnamon flavor, add one or two drops of cinnamon oil to the dough.
• Be sure to use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti logs into slices. The serrated knife helps to keep the dough from crumbling.
• The baked biscotti cookies can be dipped in white chocolate instead of spreading the chocolate on top. Dip the tip, the bottom, or the top of the biscotti, then add sprinkles.
• White chocolate is delicious with the cinnamon flavored biscotti, but is not recommended if these biscotti will be shipped in hot weather. The pink speckled cookies are eye catching even without the added chocolate and sprinkles.

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TOOLS YOU MAY NEED FOR BISCOTTI COOKIES

MORE BISCOTTI RECIPES

Biscotti are not only delicious, but they are one of the best cookies for mailing in care packages. Biscotti are sturdy and many varieties stay fresh for weeks! Nibbled on their own or dunked in your beverage of choice, there is a biscotti flavor for everyone!

Chocolate Espresso Biscotti

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Coconut White Chocolate Biscotti

Cranberry Orange Biscotti

Lemon Biscotti

CINNAMON RED HOT BISCOTTI COOKIES RECIPE

You won’t believe how fantastic these pretty pink Cinnamon Red Hot Biscotti Cookies are, especially when paired with a cup of tea! This is a great recipe for both care packages and cookie jars, so be prepared to bake plenty. I baked one batch which I planned on mailing, but we have been munching on biscotti here at home all week. A second batch will have to make it into the mail!

 

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars.

5 from 1 vote

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Cinnamon Red Hot Biscotti Cookies

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes 18 biscotti cookies

Author Wendy Sondov

Ingredients

COOKIES:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup crushed Red Hots cinnamon candies

FOR DECORATING:

• Sprinkles
• 1/3 cup white chocolate melting discs

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, and baking powder.
3. Beat in the eggs. The batter may look slightly curdled.
4. Mix in the flour until combined.
5. Add ½ cup of the crushed Red Hots. (Red Hots can be pulsed in a food processor or blender until coarsely ground) Stir just until the dough is pink and speckled with candy pieces.
6. Scrape the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape the dough into two smooth 9”x 2”logs, about 3/4" thick.
7. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool on the pan about 5 minutes.
8. Reduce the oven to 325°F.
9. With a serrated knife, cut the log crosswise into 1/2” - ¾” slices.
10. Stand the biscotti on the prepared baking sheet, each cookie slightly separated. Return the baking sheet to the oven, and bake for 20-25 minutes, until dry and beginning to turn golden around the edges.
11. Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.

TO DECORATE:

1. In a small bowl, melt white chocolate discs in the microwave at 50% power for about 1 minute, until completely melted and smooth.
2. Line up the completely cooled biscotti on a wax paper lined baking pan to catch drips and sprinkles.
3. With a butter knife or offset spatula, spread white chocolate on the top of a biscotti. Add sprinkles immediately. Continue until all the biscotti are decorated. The tray can be refrigerated for about 10 minutes to speed up the firming of the chocolate.
4. Be sure the chocolate is completely firm before storing.
5. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 weeks.

Packing Tips

Do not decorate with chocolate if mailing to or from a hot location. These biscotti are also delicious without the added chocolate and are an excellent cookie for military care packages. Double wrap two or three biscotti in plastic wrap, cut sides together. Place bundles in an airtight container or ziplock bag.

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