Skip to main content

Chocolate Chip & Almond Biscotti



Chocolate Chip & Almond Biscotti 
Source: Maida Heatter's Brand-New Book of Great Cookies (Random House, 1995 ed.), pg. 23.

It has been a few years since I've made biscotti, and I had forgotten how relatively easy it is and how delicious it is. It is one of those things that doesn't sound that great (at least to me), yet once you start eating it, there is no going back. I've made several of Maida's biscotti recipes (and there are more to come), and all of them have turned out stellar. This one, with chocolate chips, and a surprisingly soft texture (once you pass that initial bite and begin to chew).

The trickiest part to this was slicing the pieces before the second bake. First, they must be cooled first, at least for 20 minutes. Then, using a serrated knife, slice slow and carefully in a sawing motion. A few of my slices kept wanting to fall apart but I gently pressed them back together again.

6 oz. (1 1/4 cups) whole blanced almonds
2 cups sifted unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 cup minus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
12 oz. (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whiskey or brandy

Makes about 40 slices

Toast the almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Shake the pan a few times during baking. Set aside to cool.



Preheat the oven to 375. Use cookie sheets with two or three flat edges (or any sheets turned upside down). Line the sheets with parchment or foil.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the sugar and stir, mixing well.

Place about 1/4 of the dry ingredients in a food processor bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the toasted almonds, and process for 30 seconds, until the nuts are fine and powdery.



Add the processed mixture to the sifted ingredients. Add the remaining toasted almonds and the chocolate chips; stir to mix.








In a small bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, and whiskey or brandy, with a fork, just to mix.



Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined and moistened. Use a large spatula and stir from the bottom to incorporate all the ingredients thoroughly (this will take a few minutes).




Spread a sheet of wax paper or parchment on a working surface. Turn the dough out and, with wet hands, form the mixture into a mound. Cut into equal quarters.




Working with one section at a time, form them into strips, each 9 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1/2 inch high. Press the dough into shape with your hands (do not roll).

Place two strips crosswise on each of the lined sheets. (In case you are wondering why I used both parchment and foil - I ran out of parchment).





Bake for 25 minutes, reversing the sheets halfway through baking.

Remove from the oven and slide the parchment or foil off the baking sheets. Use a large spatula and transfer the strips to a cutting board. Cool for 20 minutes.


Reduce the oven temperature to 275.

Use a serrated bread knife and make slices about 1/2 inch wide. Do this carefully, in a sawing motion. Some of the pieces may try to come apart during slicing. If they do, press them back together.




Place the slices on the two cookie sheets. Bake for 25 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. 

Turn the oven off, open the door, and let the biscotti cool in the oven.

Store in an airtight container.




Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate Covered Mints

Palm Beach Brownies with Chocolate Covered Mints Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. viii. I made these brownies again a few days ago and they were just as good as ever. This time I made half with York Peppermint Patties and the other half with Andes mints. There wasn't a noticeable difference in taste. The ones with the Andes mints were pretty with the mint green color but the ones with Yorks are equally pretty. When Maida Heatter's first book (the above-mentioned title) won the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame Award in 1998, she accepted her award on stage and began to toss out these brownies to the audience. Everybody clamored for one and went wild. The original recipe came from a local deli in her area and did not include the mints (that recipe is available in the first edition of this book). She tinkered with the recipe and added the mints which do not melt during baking. I've been itching to ...
9 comments
Read more

Mulattoes

Mulattoes Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.) , pg. 199. Of the hundreds of Maida Heatter cookie recipes, this may be the most famous. These are chunky but soft, extremely chocolaty,  full of nuts and chocolate chips. Sinfully delicious! They are easy to make. The trickiest part may be the baking time. After making them numerous times, I have learned to only bake them 10 or 11 minutes at the most, then remove them and allow them to sit on the hot baking pan for about 5 minutes. They will be extremely soft to the touch but eventually they firm up nicely.  I just use my hand mixer for these. Although the recipe states that it makes 18 large cookies, I find that the yield is slightly higher, even when making them fairly large. I use a tablespoon scoop to form the cookies. 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate 6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 3 oz. (3/4 stick) butter 1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking pow...
12 comments
Read more

Frozen Chocolate Mousse

Source:  Maida Heatter's Book of Great Chocolate Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2006 ed.) , pg. 228. Here is a dessert sure to make any chocoholic swoon. Silky and decadent, this frozen mousse is like a rich chocolate ice cream. It is really easy to make - all the folding required will give you a workout but it is worth it! The crust can be made with crushed wafer cookies or you could even buy a ready-made crust. If doing your own, the instructions say to apply the crumbs around the sides of the pan (use a springform pan) but I did not do this - I just made a bottom layer. You will have to run a sharp knife around the pan before releasing the catch on the pan. The mousse is soft (even after freezing) and it will need to be put back in the freezer as soon as possible after serving. Maida Heatter recommends covering the mousse with either whipped cream, strawberries or chocolate leaves. I did not do either, it looks lovely without a topping. Crust 8 oz. choc...
5 comments
Read more