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Friday, January 7, 2011

Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti

Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti

For those who knows me well would probably remember which “meal” is a must have at our house.  Yes, that’s right, the afternoon tea!  Most of the time, we preferred something light, yet satisfying.  It’s just a little pick-me-up in the afternoon, rather than something too heavy that may ruin the appetite for dinner.  That’s why we love these chocolate biscotti.  They are the perfect size for afternoon snacks, or mid-morning snacks.  Along with a cup of tea, mocha, or milk for dipping, you’re all set.  Before I started to make my own biscotti, I used to buy these Nonni’s Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti from Costco.  Somehow, they vanished from all Costco stores!  After cruising up and down all the food isles twice, I panic for a while and didn’t know what to do! 

    

I even checked out another Costco location!  Unfortunately, they didn’t have them either.  Now they only carry the regular ones with a tiny little bit of chocolate drizzled on top.  NO, NO, NO!  I need my chocolate fix!  So, I went to some other stores to see if I have any luck!  But again, I was disappointed.  Before I turn to the internet as the last resort, I came across this recipe from the December issue of Food and Wine Magazine….the Chocolate-and-Pistachio Biscotti!  They look just like the Nonni’s ones I love, except the recipe calls for a different type of nuts.  So, I went into the kitchen right the way, gathered and measured all my ingredients, made some adjustments on the recipe and started making these delicious treats.


Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti


After all the measuring, beating, shaping, baking, cutting, dipping, cooling, waiting, and finally, tasting…I’m a happy girl again!  Didn’t people say chocolate, especially dark chocolate, helps improve ones mood?  Don’t just listen to me, here’s what the experts have to say.  Whether you need to de-stress, satisfy your sweet tooth, fight off the mid-morning hunger, or simply want to try something chocolaty and delicious, this is the perfect treat for you.  After you give these biscotti a try, I’m sure you’ll like this recipe as much as I do!


Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti








Bittersweet Chocolate Dipped Almond Biscotti:  (Adopted from Food and Wine Magazine)
Makes 32

Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Baileys Irish Cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sliced almond
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Melted bittersweet chocolate, for dipping
 
Preheat the oven to 350° and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat the butter with the sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs, vanilla extract and Baileys and beat until smooth. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the batter and beat at low speed until incorporated. Beat in the almonds.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a 1 1/4-inch-thick log. Arrange 2 logs on each baking sheet about 3 inches apart and press to flatten slightly. Brush the logs with the egg white.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, until the tops are cracked and glossy and slightly firm to the touch. Let the logs cool slightly.

Using a sharp chef's knife, cut the logs into 1/3-inch-thick diagonal slices. Arrange the slices on the baking sheets; bake for about 20 minutes, until dry. Let cool completely. Partially dip the biscotti in the melted chocolate. Refrigerate until the chocolate is set.

22 comments:

  1. Those biscotti look so crunchy and chocolatey I could eat a dozen. Beautiful picture.

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  2. Hi Amy
    I'm happy to meet you. Thanks so much for visiting My Cozy Corner. I love your blog and I love biscotti. Especially chocolate. YUM!!!! Oh and I love your new kitchen. It is a beautiful space. Very light and photography is going fabulous with your beautiful counter top.
    xo
    Betty

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  3. Yum~ I can practically taste these! Beautiful photos, thanks for sharing the recipe :-)

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  4. I love biscotti. They can be tricky to make to get them crisp and firm but not hard or worse too soft. These look so delicious.

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  5. Wow, great photos of fantastic biscotti! I love the dark chocolate and almonds. This would be wonderful with a cup of espresso.

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  6. I'm certain these are better than Costco's! They look delicious!

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  7. @ Katerina: You bet, I can eat a dozen of these yummy treats easily, too! ;)

    @ Betty: Oh yes, love the natural light in my new kitchen. So perfect for food photography. I love your blog too. So beautiful and filled with lovely stories.

    @ Sunny Simple Life: You are correct. No one wants hard or soft biscotti. The keys to make sure the biscotti are crips are easy. 1) Make sure to beat the butter and sugar until smooth and fluffy. 2) Do not over beat the mixture after adding the dry ingredients. 3) Timing--do not over bake the biscotti. Bake until they are just dried and need to take them out of the oven to cool on a rack. Hope this helps.

    @ Sue: Yes they certainly are better than those from Costco's. That's because I used quality ingredients and they are freshly baked. For sure there's no ingredients you can't pronounce. ;)

    Thank you everyone and hope you'll try the recipe soon.

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  8. I love the crumbli-ness of biscotti, and adding chocolate takes it too the next level of joy! Thanks for sharing!

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  9. Amazing photos and they look fantastic, wish I had some now:@)

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  10. These look delicious! I make my own biscotti too. It takes a little time, but there is just no comparison when it comes to homemade versus the prepackaged ones from the store.

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  11. ummm, this looks sooo good. I love biscotti so much and not sure I've ever had the chocolate.
    Can't wait to try this recipe. Thanks so much.
    Oh, I just signed up to follow..:))

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  12. I have been looking through your posts and you have a beautiful blog and a beautiful kitchen.

    I plan to visit a lot.

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  13. Chocolate Biscotti are among my favorite treats. I particularly love them with coffee...preferably cafe con leche. I look forward to trying this recipe. Thank you for sharing it.

    BTW I love your blog. So glad you stopped by artfullygraced.com, so I could find you.
    Jane

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  14. These sound and look delicious. You have a beautifully designed website.

    -Brenda

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  15. Oh gosh this looks so yummy. I have a girlfriend who I miss so much and she loves biscotti- I'll have to send her the link!

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  16. It took quite some time to complete the cookies but so worth it!

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  17. I love biscotti, and chocolate definitely elevates it to a new level!!! YUMM!!

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  18. I love biscotti and just made a batch Thursday as a birthday gift for my brother-in-law. I use a Giada recipe with anise. Yours looks so delicious!!!

    Lovely blog you have here! So nice stopping by to visit.

    Kindly, Lorraine

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  19. I love biscotti - it's pretty much perfection in my book. Yours looks incredible - Thanks so much for linking them up in the Holiday Recipe Exchange!

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