Marble Biscotti Using Melt

A couple of weeks ago, I was contacted by Miranda, who does promotional services for Melt, and she sent me a couple of free samples. I first discovered Melt over at Dinners, Dishes and Desserts (Triple D if you're Guy Fieri) and was surprised it could be used in baking. Previously, I haven't had good luck baking with margarine, butter substitutes, or shortening instead of actual butter, and Melt baked perfectly for my Marbled Biscotti.

 Rich and creamy Melt is a butter alternative made of virgin coconut oil, flax seed oil, palm fruit oil and canola oil. These are also Gluten Free Oils. It provides the good fats your body needs when you take out other fats in your diet. Melt cooks, tops and bakes just like butter, with good-for-you ingredients.

Since I started trying to lose a little weight I've been searching for a healthy butter substitute that has great flavor, has a good, non-oily consistency, has versatile, healthy oils for cooking, and most importantly to my family, does not contain olive oil. Olive oil just doesn't agree with us.

I was impressed with using the Melt in these cookies, and with Biscotti the spread-factor during baking is important. Using a substance with too much of the wrong type of oil could cause flat, greasy cookies, but these turned out absolutely perfect. My wife used Melt on her bagel this morning and said it was prefect. I haven't tried it on anything else yet, but I did taste a very small amount just by itself.

I was amazed at how identical to butter it actually is. There was a very subtle, sweet aftertaste of coconut, which I thought made the Melt just that much better, especially for making sweets.

Lookie here!! They have a contest that you'll definitely want to enter:

Mingle with Melt!

Enter for a chance to win a party for you and 10 friends with a $500 Mingle With Melt VISA gift card!
You can read all of the information and details on Melt's web-site. To enter, simply enter your name, email, and which blog you came from: http://thekitchennoob.blogspot.com/

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http://www.meltbutteryspread.com/mingle_with_melt/


Marbled Biscotti Recipe
1/2 C butter (or Melt!)
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 C AP Flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 C mini chocolate chips, divided
1 C slivered almonds, toasted
1/4 unsweetened cocoa powder
2 T instant coffee granules

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350, line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Spread slivered almonds out on lined baking sheet, toast in oven for 7-10 minutes. Pull them out to toss them 3-4 times.
3. In mixing bowl cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy; beat in eggs and vanilla.
4. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda; blend into creamed butter mixture. Stir in 1 1/4 C of the chocolate chips and the almonds.
5. Divide the dough in half (leave half in the mixing bowl, and half on a separate sheet of parchment paper). Mix coca powder and coffee grounds into the half in the mixing bowl. The dough will be very stiff.
6. On a floured surface (parchment paper with a little flour works best) gently knead the two halves of dough together just enough to marble. Divide dough in half and genly roll each half into a 12x2 inch log. Place each log on lined baking sheet at least 4 inch apart (dough will spread during baking). Press remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips onto the outside of both logs.
7. Bake 25 minutes. Cool logs for 15-20 minutes. Slice each log into about 1 inch slices and arrange each slice cut-side-down on the cookie sheet. Bake an additional 10 minutes.


For softer cookies, omit baking a second time.