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Perfectly dense, crunchy, flavoursome and much easier to bake than you could imagine, you’ll be amazed at how delicious these chocolate biscotti are.
They are the best coffee-parings, seriously addictive!
Biscotti are the classic Italian biscuits from Tuscany and the word biscotti literally means twice (bis) cooked (cotti).
I’ve sort of explained this when I shared my classic Italian almond biscotti, I’ll just recap here. The double-baking gives them their trademark dry crispy texture that is truly irresistible.
And although this extra step sounds a little time consuming, I assure you is much more baking time than hands-on time.
Today, I’m back with this foolproof and “tested a thousand times” chocolate biscotti recipe which gives you the best possible texture and flavor.
Firstly, it’s nut free and doesn’t use toasted almonds, but it has been carefully crafted with the proper ratio of ingredients. A touch of orange, honey, vanilla, and the luxurious dark chocolate coating are sure to make a wonderful flavor combination.
Added bonus? The dough is very easy to work with, a bit sticky but sturdy enough to be shaped into logs, and allows a clean cut to make elegant and less rustic looking biscotti.
I can’t even explain how much I LOVE these chocolate biscotti, and if you’re never tried these gems before, you’re in for a treat!
List of the ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Butter
- Orange zest
- Vanilla extract
- Honey
- Dark chocolate
How to make chocolate biscotti
(Note: this is a quick description, the full recipe is at the bottom of the page)
- Beat one large egg and sugar until fluffy and pale.
- Reduce the speed and add the butter, orange zest, vanilla and honey.
- Slowly add the flour and mix until combined.
- Shape the dough into two logs and brush them with the second egg for a golden, shiny finish (optional).
- Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce the temperature.
- Let the logs cool slightly and using a sharp knife and a sawing motion cut them diagonally. Look below the beautiful and perfectly clean slices!
- Return the slices to the baking sheet, cut side up.
- Bake 10 mins per each side.
- Chop and melt the chocolate until smooth.
- Dip your twice-baked biscotti into the melted chocolate and be careful, you might be tempted to coat the entire thing in dark chocolate… lol
- I love to sprinkle the chocolate coating with sea salt flakes to make a lovely contrast (optional). Other ideas? Chopped hazelnuts, grated orange zest, sugar, pistachios, or Christmas sprinkles if it’s holiday season.
- Finally, enjoy your biscotti with your favorite cup of coffee, latte, tea… the pairing options are endless!
Recipe notes
Chocolate Biscotti Ingredients
Flour & baking powder: either all-purpose flour and white spelt flour works great.
Eggs: you need one large egg for the dough, and one egg to brush the logs for a golden, shiny finish.
Butter: traditionally, the recipe doesn’t use any fat, but a little amount of butter make them less hard and perfectly crunchy.
Flavor: honey, vanilla and orange zest to create a lovely balance of flavors.
Dark chocolate: for dipping or drizzling. I used 85% cocoa dark chocolate but good-quality 70% dark chocolate chips or bar is perfectly fine.
Tips for the best chocolate biscotti
- Don’t over mix the dough.
- The dough is a bit sticky, but don’t add extra flour.
- Wet your hands to avoid the dough sticking to them.
- Make sure the two logs have the same size and shape.
- Allow room between the two logs – they spread in the oven.
- Brush the logs with beaten egg for a beautiful finish.
- Slice the logs when they’re still warm – not hot or they will crumble!
- Use a sharp knife for a clear cut – I use a chef knife, not serrated.
- Try to get uniform sized biscotti. For this nut-free version, I prefer a thin cut (max 1/2 inch thick) that gives them a better crispy texture and they look more elegant, not too chunky.
How to melt the chocolate
Keep in mind that chocolate seizes fast and easily, but a few simple rules will help you to get the best result:
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces.
- If you use a microwave, melt the chocolate in small steps (10-15 secs) – not in one go – and stir vigorously after each time until smooth.
- If you use a water bath, the bowl should not touch the surface of the water.
- Don’t overheat the chocolate (temperatures should be max 130°F and 55°C).
- Never expose melted chocolate to water, the chocolate will seize.
More cookies & biscotti…
If you’re looking for more cookie or biscotti lovers in your life (or for yourself), don’t miss this amazing list of Christmas cookies. Below a few favorites:
- Fig cookies (Italian cucciddati)
- Chocolate orange cookies
- 1-bowl Orange chocolate cookies
- Vegan almond biscotti
- 4-ingredient coconut cookies
If you make this recipe for chocolate biscotti, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it or tag a photo #theclevermeal on Instagram. I would love to hear from you!
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Chocolate Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs, divided
- ¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
- 2 tablespoon (30 grams) butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ orange zest
- 3.5oz (100 grams) good-quality dark chocolate, in small pieces
Sprinkles to decorate (optional)
- Sea salt flakes, chopped hazelnuts, pistachios, Christmas sprinkles, orange zest…
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour and the baking powder in a bowl. Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or an electric beater (or a whisk) beat 1 egg and the sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 1 or 2 minutes.
- Reduce the speed, and add gradually the melted butter, then vanilla, honey and orange zest. Mix until combined.
- With the motor running, add the flour in a few steps, not all in one go, and mix until just combined. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Remove the dough from the bowl, transfer onto a surface, and shape it into two equal logs (possibly same size and shape). If the dough is sticky, don't add any flour, simply wet your hands to handle it.
- Place the two logs onto the prepared baking sheet well apart from each other (they will spread once in the oven), press gently with your hands flattening them a little bit and brush with the second beaten egg.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until firm and golden.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven, place it on a rack, let cool down for about 10 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 250℉-120℃.
- Transfer the logs on a cutting board and using a sharp knife (I prefer to use a chef knife) with a sewing motion slice the logs diagonally into about ½ inch thick slices (or thicker, if desired).
- Return the biscotti slices to the baking sheet, cut side up, and bake them again for 10 minutes per side, total 20 minutes.
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces, add it to a medium heat-proof bowl and melt it. For the microwave, make sure you melt the chocolate in steps (10-15 seconds each time) and stir with a spoon after each step. Repeat until it looks melted and smooth, but don't overheat it. For the stove, place half of the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted, remove bowl from heat, and stir in the remaining chocolate until smooth and glossy.
- Dip biscotti halfway into the chocolate and place onto parchment paper or a rack. Sprinkle with nuts, orange zest, or sprinkle. If using sugar or sea salt flakes, wait until the chocolate set a little bit otherwise they get completely wet and disappear.
- Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator to help the chocolate set. Once set, enjoy!
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