Mocha Biscotti

I spent a weekend trying to get this right.

Mocha Biscotti

     1/2 c butter

     1 c sugar

     2 eggs

     1 tsp vanilla

     1 1/2 c flour

     1/2 c unsweetened cocoa powder

     2 tbsp instant espresso powder

     1 tsp baking powder

     dash salt

     1/2 c nuts, chopped fine

     2 tsp turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.  Cream butter and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Sift flour, cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, baking powder, and salt together.  Add to mixture.  Add nuts.   Divide dough in half.  Form each half into a log about 3" wide on prepared cookie sheet.  Sprinkle each log with 1 tsp of turbinado sugar.  Bake for 25 minutes.  Let cool 5 minutes.  Slice into 1/2" pieces.  Place cut-side down on a low-rimmed baking sheet.  Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  Flip over and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Icing

I misplaced this recipe for years and only found it recently.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake and Icing

Cake:  1 box (about 18.25 oz.) Duncan Hines yellow cake mix*

           1/3 c sugar

           1/3 c water

           1/3 c vegetable oil

           4 eggs

           1 c (8 oz) sour cream

           1/2 c butter, melted

           3 tbsp instant coffee crystals

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all ingredients except for coffee crystals.  Fold in coffee crystals.  Pour into 9 x 13" pan and bake 35-40 minutes.  Leave cake in pan.  Cool completely before icing cake.

Icing:  5 tbsp flour

           1 tbsp instant coffee crystals

           1 c milk

           1/2 c butter

           1 c sugar

           1 tsp vanilla

In a medium saucepan, combine flour, instant coffee crystals and milk.  Add butter, sugar, and anilla to flour mixture and cook until thick, stirring often.  Cool completely before icing cake.

*If using a new (2013 or later) cake mix (about 15 oz.), add 6 tbsp flour to cake mix before proceeding with recipe.