Makes about 36 pieces
Because it looks so perfect, and because it stays fresh for many days, homemade biscotti makes for a very nice gift. This dough is extremely easy to work with because it bypasses the one aspect of biscotti making that can cause difficulty, and that is all the "stuff" that's often mixed in: nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chunks, and so forth. Those tasty and attractive looking add-ins make it harder to shape the logs, and even harder to cut the biscotti into nice, even, perfect looking slices. You can, of course, stir in whatever extras you like. Just remember that I warned you.
Another thing that makes this biscotti recipe an excellent choice for beginners is the fact that the dough is dark because of the chocolate, so no one will be able to tell if you overbaked your biscotti or if all of the pieces aren't the same lovely shade of golden brown. The only other thing you need to know about biscotti is that it is, by definition, a twice baked cookie, so it does take some time from start to finish.
2/3 cup (4 ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 ounces) organic butter
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 2¼ cups organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder (make sure it's fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt
1 beaten egg white for glaze (optional)
Make it a mochaccino!
Adding 1 Tablespoon of instant espresso powder (I use Medaglia D'Oro) in with the dry ingredients does amazing things to this biscotti.
1. Heat the oven to 350°. Melt the butter and chocolate together (I put them in a Pyrex measuring cup and microwave them) and set aside.
2. With an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until lightened, about two minutes.
3. Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture.
4. Mix in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt just until combined. You should have a soft, but not sticky, dough. Add the extra 1/4 cup of flour if dough is too sticky.
5. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, form each half into a log that is 3½ inches by 9 inches. Place the logs on a heavy duty baking sheet and brush with egg white if desired. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are set.
6. Reduce the oven to 275°. Let the logs cool as long as you can (the cooler they are, the easier to cut), and then slice into 1/2-inch thick slices. Arrange the slices on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the slices over, and bake for another 20 minutes.
7. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze.
Recipe source: FarmgirlFare.com
Recipe © FarmgirlFare.com
