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These crisp chocolate hazelnut biscotti are perfect for dunking in coffee, milk or hot chocolate, making them great for breakfast or dessert.
I recently made one of my favorite snacks - dark chocolate hazelnut granola. While delicious, I bought way too many hazelnuts and needed something to use them in.
Chocolate hazelnut biscotti immediately came to mind as it's quite simple to prepare and I already had all of the ingredients. You heard that right! Biscotti really isn't difficult to make. You just have to double bake it to get that crunch you expect.
And yes, chocolate biscotti needs to be crunchy. It is meant to be dunked in something so if you make a soft biscotti, it just isn't a great dunking vehicle.
The buttery hazelnuts complement the chocolate biscotti perfectly. It's almost like having crunchy brownies.
So if you want something to go with that coffee of yours in the morning, take the time to make some homemade biscotti. If you are like me, after one bite, you'll be dreaming up your next creation!
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Hazelnut Biscotti Recipe Ingredients
- All-purpose and whole wheat flour - use a combination or all of one or the other.
- Unsweetened cocoa powder - adds chocolate taste to the biscotti.
- Instant espresso powder - intensifies the chocolate flavor.
- Baking soda - allows the biscotti batter to rise slightly.
- Kosher salt - intensifies the flavor.
- Granulated sugar - adds sweetness.
- Bittersweet chocolate - another chocolate flavor to make richer.
- Eggs - binds the biscotti dough.
- Vanilla and hazelnut extract - you can use all vanilla extract if you can't find hazelnut extract.
- Hazelnuts - adds another crunch to the chocolate biscotti but you can use another nut if desired.
How to Make Biscotti
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa powder, espresso powder and baking soda. Add salt and set aside.
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the sugar and chocolate chips and process until the chocolate is very fine.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla extract and hazelnut extract until combined.
- Add the sugar mixture and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in hazelnuts.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough in half and place on baking sheet. Shape dough into two 11x2 inch or 8x4 inch logs, keeping at least 3 inches between them. Brush each log with egg white and sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over the top and sides of each.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the biscotti is firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for 10 minutes.
- Transfer logs to cutting board and cut on the diagonal ¾" thick slices with a sharp serrated knife. (If it's crumbly, let cool for longer) Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping the biscotti halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
What Should I Serve with Biscotti?
Biscotti is hard in part because it is normally served with a drink to dunk in like coffee. It is traditionally considered a dessert in Italy so is served with a cup of coffee, but can just as easily be eaten for breakfast or a snack for that matter.
Benefits of Hazelnuts
Yes this chocolate hazelnut biscotti is breakfast/dessert, but you do get some health benefits from them. They include:
- Reducing weight gain
- Lowering cholesterol
- Supporting heart health
- Protecting against cell damage
How Long Does Homemade Biscotti Last?
If in an airtight container, biscotti can last for 2 weeks which is part of the reason they're so popular as gifts. You can also place in the freezer and it will last for 3-4 months.
You can also freeze the dough before making. Shape the dough into 2 logs and wrap in plastic wrap before placing in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the logs from the freezer and thaw the dough until pliable. From there proceed with the baking portion of the recipe.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Toast the hazelnuts as it draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the hazelnuts crunchier.
- If you don't want your biscotti to spread much, place in the fridge for an hour before baking.
- Use a serrated knife (preferably a bread knife) in a sawing motion to cut nice smooth clean slices.
- If you want long chocolate biscotti slices, slice at an angle. If you want shorter, just slice straight.
- After first bake, allow biscotti to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. If you cut immediately, the slices will crumble and if you wait too long, the biscotti will be hard to cut.
- Allow the hazelnut biscotti to cool completely after second bake. It will harden as it cools and get the texture you expect.
Other Dessert Recipes
- Orange Pistachio Biscotti
- Chocolate Chip Scones
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Bites
- Chocolate Hazelnut Bars
- Candied Pecans
If you’ve tried this hazelnut biscotti or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 oz bittersweet chocolate chips
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp hazelnut extract
- 1 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flours, cocoa powder, espresso powder and baking soda. Add salt and set aside.
- In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the sugar and chocolate chips and process until the chocolate is very fine.
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla extract and hazelnut extract until combined. Add the sugar mixture and mix until combined, about 1 minute.
- Reduce speed to low and slowly add flour mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in hazelnuts.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough in half and place on baking sheet. Shape dough into two 11x2 inch or 8x4 inch logs, keeping at least 3 inches between them. Brush each log with egg white and sprinkle 1 tsp sugar over the top and sides of each.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until the biscotti is firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool slightly for 10 minutes.
- Transfer logs to cutting board and cut on the diagonal ¾" thick slices with a sharp serrated knife. (If it's crumbly, let cool for longer) Arrange the slices on the baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes, flipping the biscotti halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool.
Notes
- Toast the hazelnuts as it draws the natural oils to the surface, intensifying the rich nutty essence, creating a deeper color, and making the hazelnuts crunchier.
- If you don't want your biscotti to spread much, place in the fridge for an hour before baking.
- Use a serrated knife (preferably a bread knife) in a sawing motion to cut nice smooth clean slices.
- If you want long chocolate biscotti slices, slice at an angle. If you want shorter, just slice straight.
- After first bake, allow biscotti to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. If you cut immediately, the slices will crumble and if you wait too long, the biscotti will be hard to cut.
- Allow biscotti to cool completely after second bake. It will harden as it cools and get the texture you expect.
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