Ellen's Chocolate Biscotti
Submitted by amphitryon
Twice-baked chocolate biscotti loaded with Dutch-process cocoa and toasted hazelnuts or walnuts. Crisp, sturdy, and dunkable, with a deep cocoa flavor and no butter or oil. The classic Italian coffee cookie, made dark.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
50 minREADY
100 minTwice-Baked Chocolate Biscotti With Hazelnut Crunch
Real Italian biscotti are dry by design. They’re meant to be dunked in espresso, vin santo, or a glass of cold milk, which is why butterless dough is the traditional standard. This chocolate version takes the classic Tuscan formula and amps the cocoa to two-thirds of a cup of Dutch-process cocoa, which delivers deep, almost fudgy flavor without making the cookies fragile.
Hazelnuts are the textural payoff. Their slightly bitter, toasty bite balances the cocoa beautifully, though walnuts work as a perfect substitute. The two-bake technique (first as a log, then sliced and toasted again) is what gives biscotti their signature shatter-and-crunch texture and their long shelf life. They keep for weeks in an airtight tin.
Pro Tips
- Use Dutch-process (alkalized) cocoa, not natural. Dutch-process gives darker color and smoother flavor that matches biscotti’s character. Natural cocoa tastes too acidic.
- Toast and skin the hazelnuts before adding. Roast at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes, rub in a clean tea towel to remove the bitter skins.
- The dough is sticky. Wet your hands lightly with water before shaping the logs to prevent it from clinging.
- Slice with a sharp serrated knife in a sawing motion. Pressing straight down will crack the logs.
- Don’t skip the second bake. It’s what gives biscotti their dunk-proof crunch.
Variations
- Swap hazelnuts for sliced almonds and add 2 teaspoons of orange zest for a Sicilian-style biscotti.
- Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips along with the nuts for a double-chocolate version.
- Dip cooled biscotti halfway in melted dark chocolate and let set on parchment for a bakery-style finish.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 325℉ (160℃) and set rack in the middle level of the oven.
Cover 2 large cookie sheets or jelly roll pans with parchment or foil.
Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and sift into a mixing bowl.
Stir in the sugar and nuts.
Whisk the eggs and vanilla and stir into the flour mixture to form a dough.
On a lightly floured surface, press dough together.
Divide dough in half and ro ll into a log the length of the pan (14 to 18 inches). Place each log on the pan and flatten slightly.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until well risen and firm.
Cool the logs on th e pans.
After the logs have cooled, detach from paper and slice them about ½-inch thick with a sharp serrated knife.
Place back on paper lined pans, cut side down, and bake again for about 20 minutes, or until dry and crisp.
Cool on pans and s tore in a tin or plastic container with a tight fitting lid.
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