If ever there was a treat so evocative of Italy, it's biscotti. Biscotti actually means twice-baked from the Old Latin (“bis” means twice and “cotto” means baked). These little darlings are crisp with just a tiny bit of chew to avoid breaking your teeth. Often dunked in coffee, espresso, or even liqueurs like Amaretto, grappa, or Vin Santo, they are great to have on hand because they keep well.
While biscotti are typically almond based, there is a long list of other ingredients that can go into the cookie base. Any form of chocolate—chip, chunk, dark, milk, white—is a pretty frequent sighting. Besides almonds, other nuts like pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts, and hazelnuts are pretty common as well. Dried fruits like cranberries, apricots, or even dates are often included. Citrus zest. Shredded coconut. Really, the sky’s the limit for these little guys.
The base batter is made with four fundamental ingredients: flour, sugar, eggs, and butter or oil. The wetter the added ingredients, the softer the cookie. There are some who claim that only a truly crisp, dry cookie is a traditional biscotto (singular for biscotti). But then, there are those that prefer just a little give. Too dry and you really could require immediate dental work. Too soft, and it’s not really a biscotto—just a cookie. You’ve got to walk a fine line and I think it’s all in the second baking that makes a difference.
Here's the recipe I like:
3 1/4 c. flour
1 c. white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 TB baking powder
A few drops of almond extract, optional
1/2 c. dark chocolate chips, melted
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the wet ingredients together. In a separate bowl, sift in the dry. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet. (If you wanted to add extra ingredients like chocolate chips or nuts, this is a good time to do so.) Once the dough is blended, fold out onto a floured cutting board and roll into a log form. Divide into two pieces. Press down so that dough is about a 1/2 inch in thickness.
Bake the two logs for 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack. When suitable to handle, cut into 1/2-inch slices. Place back on parchment baking sheet, cut side up. Bake for another 6-10 minutes until lightly toasted. Let cool again on a wire rack.
In the meantime, set a sauce pan with water to boil on medium-low heat. In a metal bowl sitting on top of the pan, place the chocolate chips. Stir until fully melted. Let the chocolate cool just a little bit. Then, with a fork, drizzle the melted chocolate over the top of the biscotti and let it set.
Buonissimo!
