Chocolate Biscotti
{Countdown to Christmas Cookies Series}
Pour a hot cup of cocoa, snuggle up next to the fire and enjoy one of these crunchy and delicious chocolate biscotti. Â These twice baked cookies are the perfect dipping cookie and become soft and moist when given a quick dunk in a hot beverage. Â
I thought these cookies would be the perfect addition to the Countdown to Christmas Cookies Series. Â For the holidays, these make the perfect gift. Â Make a batch of these, place in a decorative box or cookie tin. Â Give alone or with hot cocoa mix for your recipients to enjoy this winter. Â
There are many varieties biscotti but I choose to create chocolate biscotti because who doesn’t love chocolate? Â After they are baked and cooled I dip them in semi-sweet chocolate for an extra bit of chocolate goodness. Â
Biscotti is relatively easy to make. Â You just need to set some time aside to make these as they are baked twice. Â I have found through trial and error the best time combination that works for me is baking these delightful Italian cookies at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes for the first round. Â After they have slightly cooled (about 10-15 minutes), I slice them about 1/2 inch thick at an angle and bake them for an additional 10-15 minutes, turning them halfway. Â Once they are baked the second time and removed from the oven, they will harden more as they begin to cool. Â The end result is the perfect texture and just the right amount of crunch. Â
I developed this recipe that did not making them overly sweet. Â Since I dip them in chocolate and I incorporate chocolate chip morsels in to the biscotti I don’t use much cocoa powder. Â If you prefer a richer, chocolaty biscotti I would suggest increasing the amount of unsweetened cocoa powder to 1/2 cup and decreasing the flour to 2 1/2 cups. Â Mr. Mother Thyme who has an incredible sweet tooth and loves his “chocolaty delights” as he calls it, liked these using my original recipe below but I wanted to share this alternative with you as well for anyone that truly wants a deeper chocolate biscotti.
Lastly, I incorporate walnuts in these. Â I love the combination of nuts with the chocolate, and the chocolate morsels. Â You may omit the walnuts completely or use any kind of nut as you desire such as pistachios, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts or even pecans. Â Just coarsely chop them before adding them in. Â
Enjoy! Â
Chocolate Biscotti
Ingredients
2 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar plus additional for sprinklingÂ
3 large eggsÂ
1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Â
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chipsÂ
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1 large egg for egg wash
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (for dipping, optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening (for dipping, optional)
Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Â Line large baking sheet with parchment paper. Â
In a medium bowl sift flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and set aside.
Using an electric mixer combine butter and sugar until fluffy. Â Add in eggs one at a time followed by vanilla extract. Â Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Â Mix in chocolate chips and nuts. Â
Divide dough in half and place on baking sheet(s). Â Shape each half in to 16″x2″ logs, using the palm of your hand to flatten the top, making sure the top and thickness is level from end to end. Â Â Whisk egg until lightly beaten. Â Lightly brush on top of logs and sprinkle with sugar. Â
Place in the center rack of the oven for 30 minutes. Â Remove from oven and let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Â When cool to touch, cut 1/2 inch thick slices at an angle, lay slice flat. Â Place back in oven for an additional 10-15 minutes, turning slices halfway. Â
Remove from oven and cool on wire racks. Â
(Optional) Combine 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and vegetable shortening over a double boiler until melted. Â Dip cooled biscotti in to chocolate. Â Set on wax paper and chill in refrigerator until chocolate hardens. Â
I love biscotti…perfect with a hot cup of coffee this time of year and especially today, it’s cold here!
These look delicious. This morning while having some hot tea had a craving for biscotti. Mine have nuts and fruit in them but with chocolate on yours they make me want to bake a batch. I love chocolate. Thanks for sharing.
I love chocolate biscotti. I made some with almonds before and I think walnut is a great combination too. Will try your recipe when I make biscotti next time.
BTW, I hop over from Make Ahead Meals for busy Mom’s site. 🙂 Glad I’ve found your blog.
These look great! I love biscotti.
There’s nothing like chocolate biscotti with a hot cup of cappuccino in the afternoon. This recipe is a keeper – it’s bookmarked!
Can you tell me how many this recipe makes?
Hi Chelsea, this recipe yields approximately 3 dozen.