Chocolate Almond Biscotti


Looking for something a little different for a Valentine's Day treat? Chocolate Almond Biscotti may be just the thing. Long, crunchy cookies with a rich chocolate flavor are made to be savored slowly over a cup of coffee or tea.

Biscotti have been around for a long time. Centuries ago, they were originally made as a”long-shelf-life” food (very dry and containing no fats) for travelers and were carried by the Roman Legions to battle. Today’s biscotti, while still hard and crunchy, are a far cry from the original, and are a popular accompaniment to espresso, cappuccino, and dessert wine. Their unique texture makes them perfect to dunk in your morning coffee, afternoon tea, or wine after dinner (History of Biscotti).

These are also the perfect cookie to send through the mail if your Valentine is far away. You still want to pack carefully, of course, but they are very sturdy.



Chocolate Almond Biscotti 

2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon table salt
4 large eggs (divided use)
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional- I don't care for it, but some do)
3/4 cup chopped almonds
3/4 cup semi sweet mini chocolate chips
coarse sparkling or crystal sugar
sharp serrated bread knife

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and place rack in the middle. Line a half sheet (18x13; mine is 16X11) cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract (if using). Gradually stir dry ingredients into egg mixture. Mix just until combined.
3. Mix almonds and chocolate chips into dough until mixed throughout and dough holds together. Dough will be very stiff.
4. On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half. With slightly wet hands, pat dough into rectangles, slightly rounded on top, about 1" to 1.5" thick. Place rectangles on prepared cookie sheet. 
5. Mix the one egg that is left with 2 teaspoons of water and whisk until well combined. Brush the tops of the dough rectangles lightly but completely with egg mixture, then sprinkle evenly with sparkling sugar.
6. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until dough feels firm to the touch, especially center tops. Remove sheet from oven and let cool on rack for about 20 minutes, or until cookie rectangle can be handled comfortably. Turn oven down to 325 degrees. 
7. Carefully remove cookie rectangles onto a cutting board. Using a very sharp serrated bread knife, slice into 1/2" slices. You can cut these from the long side, from the short side, or diagonally, just depending on how long you want your biscotti to be. Diagonally is pretty, but it's harder for me to get even slices when I cut diagonally, so I just went with a straight cut. :)
8. Place the biscotti cut side down on the cookie sheet and bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes, turning cookies over halfway through baking time. Cookies should be firm and dry, but not browned.
9. Remove from oven and let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then on cooling rack until completely cool. Store tightly covered. These keep well for several days. Makes about 24, depending on how you cut them. 

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34 comments:

  1. Double yum! Hope to see you at Funtastic Friday this week.

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  2. Joy,

    Your recipes always look amazing! You are not only a terrific cook but you take mouth watering pictures. This biscotti looks extremely delicious. I love the chocolate and coffee together.
    Thanks for sharing!
    Diane Roark
    recipesforourdailybread

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  3. This looks delicious! And your photos are lovey! =)

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  4. I'm back again. You really do share some yummy stuff. Although I've just been complaining all this yummy food being shared makes me frustrated as I want to eat it all now and haven't got any of it ;(

    I agree with the previous comments, you do take some great photos, you should do a post with some tips ;)

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  5. That sounds delicious. And, you made it seem easier than I thought it would be! Thanks for the recipe.

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  6. Looks delicious and this caught my eye over at Pieced Pastimes because I have the same Mikasa dishes. Your photos are beautiful!
    Shelley

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  7. These look great! I'm hoping to be able to try them soon as a perfect Valentine's Day gift for my daughters.
    I have a funny biscotti story! When I was teaching high school, a lovely mom made these as Christmas gifts for us. The women were delighted, but two men came in grumbling that the "cookies" they got were "stale!" lol

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  8. Sounds delightful! Thanks for linking up to Scraptastic Saturdays.

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  9. Wow, these look so yummy! I've made a few different kinds of biscotti over the years but not this one....YET!

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  10. Your biscotti does look delicious! I love dipping it in coffee but then I am a sugar junky!

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  11. YUM! I've been craving biscotti, but never thought to use chocolate in it. Saving this recipe for later!

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  12. Yum…love biscotti with coffee and chocolate sends it over the top!

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  13. Looks awesome. I would be more than happy to have this served up to me on Valentines Day :-)

    Thanks for linking up to Marvelous Monday on Smart Party Planning.

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    Replies
    1. Our readers loved this, and it will be featured at next week's party :-)

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  14. I didn't realise biscotti dated back to the Romans, Joy! I was so interested to learn that. Your Chocolate Almond Biscotti look lovely - the perfect Valentine's Day treat! Thank you for sharing them with us at the Hearth and Soul hop.

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  15. Looks pretty and I am sure it tastes delicious Joy! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
    hugs,
    Jann

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  16. Love biscotti, oh, chocolate. Thanks for linking up to Funtastic Friday. Hope to see you again soon.

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  17. Hi Joy!, Theresa from Shoestring Elegance and the What to do Weekend’s Party. I just wanted to pop by and tell you that I just Featured your Beautiful Biscotti over @ the party! Come grab your Featured button and thank you for linking up with us! Hugs to you, my dear!
    ~Theresa

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  18. Yum! I love these biscottis! :) Thanks for stopping by and sharing this on Five Friday Finds! I'm looking forward to what you share this week. :)

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  19. The biscotti looks amazing! And I really love the history you shared of it at the beginning. Sometimes us women need to take some chocolate into battle too :) Thanks for sharing this on the Art of Home-Making Mondays this week!

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  20. Thank you for linking up with Merry Monday! These look delicious! I love biscotti. Julia

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  21. Oh yum, I love biscotti! The combination af chocolate and almonds sounds wonderful. Thanks for sharing at What'd You Do This Weekend? :)

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  22. Mmmm...this looks so yummy! I love chocolate and almonds together AND as a biscotti! Yes, Please!

    Thank you for sharing at #InspireMeMondays !

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  23. Hello cute lady! I'm loving it. Pinned and tweeted. Thank you so much for partying with us. I hope to see you tonight at 7 pm. We love to party with you! Happy Monday! Lou Lou Girls

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  24. I love Biscotti and perfect for afternoon tea. Thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with Full Plate Thursday, I will be pinning this. Hope you have a great week and come back soon!
    Miz Helen

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