Greta’s Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Today I’m sharing a friends recipe for the best biscotti ever.  The combination of the semi-sweet chocolate and the nuts plus a slight tang from the lemon juice make for a sophisticated snack.  Greta’s Chocolate Chip Biscotti is the perfect pairing with my favorite self-indulgence, a nice strong cup of coffee.

My neighbor Greta shared this recipe with me.  She made these scones for an incoming neighbor’s welcome basket a few years back and I haven’t been able to get my mind off of them since. 

I made two very small variations to Greta’s recipe.  The first is using whole wheat pastry flour versus white flour.  The second addition I make to my neighbor Greta’s fine recipe is adding pistachio.  I love the flavor of biscotti with almonds.  Pistachios give it more nuttiness with the sophistication of pistachios.

Reasons to try whole wheat pastry flour for baking:

• healthy nutrients from bran and wheat germ
• a more finely ground flour resulting in softer, lighter flavor (as compared to the robust wheat taste of straight whole wheat flour)
• good baking results (very similar to that of using white flour) good for baking cookies, cakes, biscuits, and muffins
• slightly less gluten than whole wheat flour;  some folks with milder gluten sensitivities may be able to tolerate whole wheat pastry flour

Side note:  whole wheat pastry flour is sometimes referred to as soft wheat flour.

If you are new to the wonderful world of biscotti, it is like a crunchy cookie.  Like most things Italian, snacking on biscotti feels elegant.  They are harder and crunchier than cookies, making them ideal for dipping in your favorite warm drink.  Biscotti is a filling snack that satiates a sweet tooth and goes with warm coffee, tea or hot cocoa.  The good news is that making home-made biscotti is much easier than it seems.  The trick is baking it twice to get that special golden biscotti crunch.

Steps for Preparing and Baking Biscotti:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Mix eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla, and lemon juice in a large bowl
• Whisk together dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl
• Chop and toast nuts (about 5 minutes in a 450 oven/toaster oven for chopped almonds and about 3 minutes in 450 oven/toaster oven for chopped pistachio nuts – watch carefully to avoid burning)
• Add the dry mix into the wet sugar/egg mixture gradually and stir until incorporated
• Line one large baking sheet, or 2 smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Shape with your hands 2 long flat ovals, approximately 4 inches wide and 12 inches long on a non-stick baking sheet (if you have a large enough baking sheet to fit both ovals. I use 2 baking sheets, one for each loaf).
• Bake for 25 minutes 
• Allow to cool for about 10 minutes
• (Note: Using parchment paper on baking trays will allow you to lift the long flat ovals easily over to a cutting board after the first round of baking for cooling and for slicing into the smaller biscotti shapes._
• Transfer to a cutting board. Slice the baked ovals horizontally and at an angle into 1-inch wide strips using a very sharp knife.
• Turn the shaped cookie pieces 1/4 turn and arrange on a parchment-lined baking tray
• Bake for the 2nd time for 10 minutes and until golden brown.

If you are making twice-baked biscotti for the first time it can be hard to visualize the slicing, turning and baking technique.  I find this short video demonstration to be helpful:

Once you get the grasp of the shaping of the dough, baking once, slicing, then turning the slices over to the side for a 2nd baking, making biscotti becomes a snap!

So who’s ready to dunk one in a nice strong cup of coffee or tea – what’s your pleasure?

In our Iranian-American family, we have both coffee lovers and tea drinkers.  I have memories of my grandmother making thick, strong Turkish coffee.  It was like drinking tar and sent us flying high on a caffeine buzz afterward.  She would sweeten her thick, rich coffee as well.  Our love for coffee and sweets runs deep and true.  My mom is also a huge coffee lover.  She always craves something sweet with her cup of Joe.  “What do you have sweet?” is what she echos as she mills about my kitchen making herself a cup.

My in-laws are all about tea.  Persian tea something very special.  The Farsi word for it is Chai but pronounced “Cha-yee” with the enunciation on the 2nd syllable.  It is aromatic with hues of cardamom and cloves.  Earl grey and Darjaleen can be mixed with Persian tea leaves for a nice blend.  Persians like their tea hot and strong and always with something sweet.

Both sides of our family love Greta’s Chocolate Chip Biscotti as a perfect accompaniment to their coffee and tea times.

If you loved this recipe and the benefits of using whole wheat pastry flour, be sure to check out the recipe for Whole Wheat Nutty Tea Cookies.

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