Cook the Book: Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
In the headnote accompanying this recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti, excerpted here from The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread, author Amy Sherber states that "if you pick just one recipe to try" from the 70 included in the cookbook, "this is it!" As a self-proclaimed biscotti fanatic, I couldn't resist such an enthusiastic endorsement. So last night, I rolled up my sleeves and baked a batch.
Less than 24 hours later, I've already eaten seven. Seven biscotti. I can't walk by the Tupperware container they're in without sneaking another one. And since they're crunchy little numbers, trying to break one in half doesn't work. (In my mind, eating half a cookie doesn't really count as eating a cookie.)
The finished biscotti are quite crisp and incredibly chocolaty, thanks to a dash of instant espresso powder and a pinch of cinnamon, each of which serves to heighten the flavors. Chocolate chips melt into the dough as the cookies bake, leaving behind what Amy calls "little pockets of soft chocolate" that perfectly compliment the toasted hazelnuts.
These cookies are absolutely perfect for dunking in coffee, tea, milk, wine, Grand Marnier, or whatever else you have on hand. They would also make an ideal holiday gift, as they keep for up to six weeks when sealed in an airtight container.
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
- makes 3 dozen cookies -
Adapted from The Sweeter Side of Amy's Bread by Amy Sherber.
2 tablespoons (28 grams/1 ounce) unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon (212 grams/7.48 ounces) sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 plus 2 tablespoons (170 grams/6 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup plus 2 teaspoons (52 grams/1.83 ounces) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3/4 cups (227 grams/8 ounces) hazelnuts, whole, toasted
3/4 cup (130 grams/4.59 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg for egg wash
Procedure
1. Position one rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl with an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar for 1 minute or until a sandy mixture forms. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until fluffy and lighter in color, about 1 minute more.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and whisk together. Add to the butter-and-egg mixture in 2 additions, and mix only until combined.
4. Fold the hazelnuts and chocolate chips into the dough, and mix until evenly distributed. The dough will be thick and hard to stir. If it is too sticky, chill briefly.
5. Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces, about 454 grams/16 ounces each. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece of dough into a log about 2 inches wide by 14 inches long by 1 1/2 inches high. Place the logs on the prepared sheet pan with several inches between them.
6. In a small bowl, mix 1 egg with 1 teaspoon of water to make an egg wash. Brush each log with egg wash, coating them evenly on the top and sides.
7. Bake for 27 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet from front to back halfway through baking, until very lightly browned and somewhat firm. Remove from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 300ºF.
8. Cool the logs for 20 minutes, then place them on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice each log on a slight angle into 3/4-inch-thick pieces, keeping them in a row. Slide the row of biscotti together, lift and place back on the cookie sheet, then separate the slices, leave 1/2 inch of space between each one.
9. Bake again for 9 to 12 minutes, rotating once during baking, until the biscotti feel slightly firm.
10. Cool and eat, or pack in an airtight container to store for up to 6 weeks. They freeze well, too—if you have any that don't get eaten right away.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
7 Comments:
I'm pretty weird in that I'm not a big chocolate eater (I don't hate it - I just don't go wild for it like a lot of people do) and I'm not a huge fan of biscotti (I think it's the crumbs - I'm a neat freak). I have to say, however, that I would not only enjoy making these but would enjoy eating them, too. Most often, I bake chocolate goodies for everybody else and don't partake of the bounty but these are calling my name.
Thanks for sharing, Lucy. I actually ordered this book and am waiting for it to arrive any day.
holdthemayo at 1:46PM on 10/30/08
These sound great! However, I need clarification on one ingredient listed in the recipe. 1 tablespoon of butter is 1/2 ounce, but the recipe reads "1 tablespoon (28 grams/1 ounce) unsalted butter, slightly softened".
So, is it 1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) of butter or 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) of butter?
punkin712 at 1:57PM on 10/30/08
Whoops! Sorry about that slip up. The correct amount for the butter in that recipe is the 28g/1 Oz./2 tablespoons. Enjoy the biscotti.
recipewriter at 2:42PM on 10/30/08
Actually the book says 1 tablespoon. That's what I used, and they came out great! But you're right, 1 oz. is 2 tablespoons...it's a copywriting error!
Lucy Baker at 3:46PM on 10/30/08
can you please clarify something? It says "1 plus 2 tablespoons (170 grams/6 ounces) all-purpose flour" in your ingredients list. Does that mean 3 tablespoons or 1 cup + 2 tablespoons? Also, I tried to make a half-portion yesterday but the dough was very loose and spread while baking so it looked like a giant cookie. Can give me some hints as to what went wrong? I probably messed up the flour since I was guestimating the amount and I think I mixed up the 1 oz. = 2 tbsp conversion, which I just now saw in the latest comment. Doh! >.>
justtryingthingsout at 1:57PM on 11/02/08
These look incredible. I have to make these before the holidays. My dad would love them.
dollhouse1407 at 5:14PM on 12/17/08
justtryingthingsout: A cup of flour is 5 oz so the recipe calls for 1 cup plus 2 tbs -- I would have been confused too if I didn't weigh out my ingredients whenever I bake.
Amazon421 at 7:20PM on 12/17/08