Chocolate Almond Biscotti

 

These scrumptious biscotti have a rich chocolate flavour that comes from both the unsweetened cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate. The fact that they stay fresh for weeks makes them the perfect treat for gift baskets…Or you could just make a cup of coffee/tea, put on “House Hunters International” (my fav afternoon show) and dunk away…

Here is what you will need: 

1 cup almond (or hazelnuts)

120g of a good quality semi sweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup brown sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp of baking soda

1/4 tsp of salt

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp of pure vanilla extract

How to make it:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C). 

Toast your nuts. Spread nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool and then chop coarsely.
 

 Turn down the oven temp to 300 F (150 degrees C).

In a food processor, process chopped chocolate and brown sugar until the chocolate is very fine.
 

 

In a large blow mix together all your dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder (make sure you sift the cocoa powder so that there are no lumps), baking soda and salt.
 

 

In a separate bowl beat together the eggs and vanilla until creamy and then add your chocolate/sugar mixture. Beat for about one to two minutes.
 

 

Add your flour/cocoa  and beat until a stiff dough forms.
 

 

Slowly add your chopped nuts and stir until well incorporated. 
 

 

 Your dough mixture will be quite sticky.

On a well floured surface divide your dough in half and roll each half into a log (about 8-10 inches long, 1 ½ inches thick and 2 inches wide).
 

 

Transfer your logs onto baking sheet and space a few inches apart (dough will spread while baking). Bake for about 35- 40 min. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 min.
 

Transfer each log onto cutting board and using a sharp knife (you can use a bread knife as well). I found that a sharp kitchen knife works best.  Cut the log into slices 3/4 inch thick on the diagonal.

Arrange the slices cut-side down on the baking sheet. 

Bake 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake until crisp and dry, about 10 minutes. 

 

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.  

Enjoy! 

 

Recipe courtesy of  http://www.joyofbaking.com/biscotti/ChocolateHazelnutBiscotti.html