Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (2024)

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (2)
Perfect for gift giving, homemade biscotti is easier to make than you think.

Update: Every year in early December this becomes one of the most popular recipes on Farmgirl Fare. Click here for a sampling of rave reviews and signature touches from Farmgirl Fare readers.

I used to be intimidated by biscotti. It always looked so elegant and so unavailable to the humble home baker. How did each piece come out looking that perfect? The entire process of making biscotti was mystifying.

But when I finally worked up the courage to bake some, I discovered the most wonderful thing: there is no mystery to biscotti. It's easy to make, even on your first try. All it takes is a little time and the right recipe.

Traditional Italian biscotti is not my kind of cookie. It doesn't contain butter, it's flavored with anise, and it's break-your-teeth hard because it's meant to be dunked in coffee before biting into it.



My recipe, on the other hand, turns tradition on its ear. It calls for butter, produces a cookie with a nice crunch that stands up to dunking but also tastes fine on its own, and is chocolate. I love it.

This dough is extremely easy to work with because it bypasses the one aspect of biscotti making that can cause difficulty, and that is all the "stuff" that's often mixed in: nuts, dried fruit, chocolate chunks, and so forth.

Those tasty and attractive looking add-ins make it harder to shape the logs, and even harder to cut the biscotti into nice, even, perfect looking slices. You can, of course, stir in whatever extras you like. Just remember that I warned you.

Another thing that makes this biscotti recipe an excellent choice for beginners is the fact that the dough is dark because of the chocolate, so no one will be able to tell if you overbaked your biscotti or if all of the pieces aren't the same lovely shade of golden brown.

The only other thing you need to know about biscotti is that it is, by definition, a twice baked cookie, so it does take some time from start to finish. First you form the dough into 'logs' and bake them.

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (3)


Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (4)

After the baked logs have cooled, you slice them up.

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (5)

Then you bake the slices, turning them over halfway through the baking time.

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (6)

I'll admit this part is kind of a hassle, but it's really not too bad. I know that some people prefer to stand the pieces up so they don't have to turn them, but if I tried that, I'm sure they would all collapse like one of those giant domino things while I was moving the baking sheet from the counter to the oven—that is if I could even get them to stand up in the first place. I find it easier to simply flip the slices over.

Because it looks so perfect, and because it stays fresh for many days, homemade biscotti makes for a very nice gift. Package it in little cellophane bags tied with a colorful ribbon (I like

this brand), and people will think you spent a fortune on them at a fancy bakery. Revealing the truth is, of course, up to you.

I highly recommend investing in a couple of heavy duty

commercial baker's half sheet pans; they're one of the best kitchen deals around. I've been using some of mine for over 20 years for everything from baking scones to roasting brussels sprouts, not to mention baking thousands of cookies. I usually line them with sheets of unbleached parchment paper, which is wonderful stuff.

As always, I urge you to seek out

local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference. Organic flours are easy to find, and even organic sugar and organic cocoa powder are becoming mainstream.

Farmgirl Susan's Easy Chocolate Biscotti
Makes about 36 Pieces

**Click here to print this recipe**

Ingredients:

2/3 cup (4 ounces) semisweet or dark chocolate chips (or chopped chocolate)
1/2 cup (1 stick/4 ounces) organic butter
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 2¼ cups organic all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ teaspoons baking powder
(make sure it's fresh!)
1 teaspoon salt

1 beaten egg white for glaze (optional)

Make it a mochaccino!
Adding 1 Tablespoon of instant espresso powder (I use

Medaglia D'Oro) in with the dry ingredients does amazing things to this biscotti.

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Melt the butter and chocolate together (I put them in a

Pyrex measuring cup and microwave them) and set aside.

2. With an electric hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until lightened, about two minutes.

3. Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture.

4. Mix in the flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt just until combined. You should have a soft, but not sticky, dough. Add the extra 1/4 cup of flour if dough is too sticky.

5. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, form each half into a log that is 3½ inches by 9 inches. Place the logs on a heavy duty baking sheet and brush with egg white if desired (I use a

silicone brush). Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are set. Update: some readers have said their loaves sliced better when cooked a little less than 25 minutes, so I've changed the directions accordingly.

6. Reduce the oven to 275°. Let the logs cool as long as you can (the cooler they are, the easier to cut), and then slice into 1/2-inch thick slices (I use my

large serrated bread knife and push it through the loaves rather than 'sawing' the slices).

7. Arrange the slices on baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully turn the slices over, and bake for another 20 minutes.

8. Cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container or freeze.

Still hungry? Try these other Farmgirl Fare treats:

Cookies and Bars

Baby Chocolate Chip and Toffee Shortbread Bites

Little Molasses Ginger Spice Snaps
Toasted Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Big Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Raisin Cookies

(and how to hug a sheep)

Yip Yap Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Banana Snaps
Choco-Oat-Butterscotch-Coconut Crazy Cookies
All Nautral Honey Peanut Butter Cookies

Apple Blueberry Crumble Bars
Quick and Easy Raspberry Almond Bars
Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Cookie Bars

Muffins and Scones

Cranberry Christmas Scones

(tasty any time of year)


Can't live on sweets alone? You'll find links to all my sweet and savory Less Fuss, More Flavor recipes in the Farmgirl Fare Recipe Index.

© FarmgirlFare.com, the chocoholic foodie farm blog where Farmgirl Susan shares stories & photos of her crazy country life on 240 remote Missouri acres—and there can never be too much chocolate.

Recipe: Easy Chocolate Biscotti Cookies For Beginners (2024)

FAQs

Is biscotti better with oil or butter? ›

Despite their centuries-old heritage, there is no one perfect way to make biscotti. Some recipes call for eggs only, which is the traditional method, while others swear by butter or oil. The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life.

Should you refrigerate biscotti dough before baking? ›

You guessed it, add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold in the pistachios, cardamom, and vanilla extract. Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time.

What does baking soda do in biscotti? ›

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

Why are my biscotti not crunchy? ›

In summary, to produce a consistent crunch in your biscotti, it is necessary to measure and sift the ingredients. It may take some trial and error before you find out what ratio of flour-to-fat that works best for you, but remember that sifting and measuring your ingredients helps create perfect crispiness!

What is the difference between Italian and American biscotti? ›

Biscotti can be either the traditional Italian type which is very crunchy and intended for dunking in coffee, tea, or wine. Or they can be the softer American type, eaten like any cookie. The Italian type keeps longer and has no butter, so they are much lower calorie and very low fat.

Are biscotti healthier than cookies? ›

Unlike many traditional cookies, biscotti are often lower in fat and sugar. Add some heart healthy nuts and you have a satisfying and relatively light treat! This delicious cookie can easily be made vegan & vegetarian friendly.

Why do my biscotti crumble when I slice it? ›

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

What makes a great biscotti? ›

12 Tips For Making The Absolute Best Biscotti
  1. Use room-temperature ingredients. ...
  2. Boost the flavor with spices, extracts, and zest. ...
  3. Toss in some add-ins for flavor and texture. ...
  4. Let the dough chill before shaping. ...
  5. Use floured or greased hands to shape the dough. ...
  6. Shape the dough into a smaller loaf than you want.
May 29, 2023

Can you overmix biscotti dough? ›

The trickiest parts of making them are the mixing and the shaping and baking. Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.

What happens if you forget baking powder in biscotti? ›

Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat. Baking powder makes dough rise because it contains both a base and an acid in dried form.

How sticky should biscotti dough be? ›

Biscotti dough is inherently sticky. I recommend adequately flouring your hands before working the dough, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add a little flour at a time but just enough so you can work with it.

What are you supposed to dip biscotti in? ›

The Vino Dunk – Purists would say the only liquid to dip your biscotti in is wine. As they do in Tuscany, you can dip your biscotti into rich red wines, especially those on the sweeter side. Marsala wine and Vin Santo are the wines of choices for dipping.

How to tell when biscotti are done baking? ›

After the first bake, the biscotti loaves should be firm and very lightly browned, but not hard. Loaves are ready to cut when you can touch them without burning yourself.

What makes biscotti softer? ›

I make Biscotti all the time and for a softer version just cook them less time.. I bake the log for 15 minutes at 375 F then remove from oven let cool. then slice put back in oven for just five minutes standing up... Remove and you are done!

Is it better to use butter or oil in cookies? ›

It depends on what kind of cookie you want. For crisp cookies, use all butter. For soft cookies, use oil or solid vegetable shortening (like Crisco).

Can you substitute butter for olive oil in biscotti? ›

Typically, Italian biscotti are made with butter but you can also use olive oil instead. The result is lighter, crisper biscotti.

Do biscotti contain butter? ›

Traditional recipes do not include a fat like butter or oil making them very dense, but American-style biscotti tend to include a fair amount of butter that is whipped for a lighter, more crumbly texture.

Why is butter better than oil in baking? ›

Butter is considered a solid fat because it is solid at room temperature and oil is considered a liquid fat because it's liquid at room temperature. Because of this, you can't rely on oil to provide any leavening help in baked goods, which can result in a denser texture.

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