It’s a cold, snowy Sunday in January. What do you do? Curl up on the sofa and read a book? Maybe! But, first how about baking a batch of delicious biscotti. After which, curling up on the sofa with a piping hot mug of tea, yummy biscotti and a good book sounds like a perfect afternoon!
I didn’t post all the photos for the preparation and assembly for this recipe, primarily because they are the same as the photo instructions for my other biscotti recipe – White Chocolate Cranberry Biscotti. Biscotti are really quite easy to make. And, in most homes, not mine, properly stored, they can stay fresh for weeks. Biscotti were actually created in Italy as a convenience food for travelers and the Roman army, rather than a sweet treat to go with coffee, tea and, of course, wine. The “twice-baked” finger-shaped confections are “dried out” during the second baking in order to make them more durable.
Biscotti were originally flavored with almond, but now you can find biscotti made with dozens of flavors and combinations of flavors. My previous recipe was White Chocolate and Dried Cranberry, but today I’m feeling like chocolate. And to make these even more chocolaty, I’m adding mini chocolate chips to the chocolate batter. Let’s go!
CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT BISCOTTI
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease or line with parchment paper, two baking sheets. Makes about two dozen.
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup Dutch process cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
pinch salt
1 ounce softened butter (not melted)
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temperature*
1 cup chopped walnuts (or any chopped nuts)
6 oz. pkg. mini chocolate chips
In one bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. I always sift twice, just to ensure the dry ingredients are incorporated completely. Who wants to get a mouthful of baking powder??
In another bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla til well combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. If the batter appears curdled at this point, don’t worry. It will come together.
Stir in the dry ingredients, and then add the chocolate chips and chopped walnuts. Cover the batter and then refrigerate for an hour. It will be easier to handle when nice and cold.
Take the batter from the frig and dump it onto a lightly floured board. Knead for a few seconds til it forms a ball. Cut the ball in half. Form each half into a narrow log – about 3/4″ high and about 6″ or 7″ long. When baked, you will slice this log diagonally, so be sure it’s not too wide.
Place each log onto a baking tray and bake in the center of the oven for about 20 to 30 minutes. Check for doneness with a cake tester inserted into the middle. When cooked through, remove from the oven and cool on racks.
Only when completely cooled should you slice the logs. If you are too impatient and slice them when they are still warm, they will crumble. Using a serrated knife, cut each log on the diagonal, into about 1/2″ slices. Place the slices on the baking trays, in a single layer. Return them to the preheated oven and continue baking for about 15 to 20 minutes. I flip them over halfway through the baking, but not everyone does. It’s up to you. When done, cool completely on racks.
These super chocolaty, crunchy biscotti are rich and sweet and delicious! My suggestion … put a few away as a treat for yourself because these are going to disappear quickly. Now you’re ready to curl up on the sofa with a good book and steaming, hot cuppa!!
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* People always ask me why should eggs be at room temperature for baking. I’m sure with cold eggs, your bakes will be fine, but probably more dense than you might have wanted. With room temperature eggs, the whites and yolks combine easier, which means they will disperse into the batter more evenly, making for more even baking and lighter texture. If you’ve forgotten to take the eggs out of the frig before hand, not to worry. Place the eggs in hot (not boiling water) for 10 to 15 minutes and they’ll be perfect.
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Beat in the dry ingredients and, when well blended, add in chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate bits.
After everything is incorporated, cover and refrigerate for about an hour. Then dump the dough onto a lightly floured board.
Line a large baking tray (or two small ones) with parchment paper and carefully place the logs on. They will rise, so don’t place them too close together.
When the logs are cooled, slice the logs with a serrated knife, diagonally, into slices about 1/2″ thick. You can slice then thinner, or thicker, it’s up to you.