Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

The very Italian recipes only use eggs and no other fat- making for a very hard and not so sweet biscuit… similar to a Greek paksimathi (which can either be dried bread rusks or something sweeter and similair to biscotti.)

American biscotti are more similar to a cookie because we add some kind of fat- in this case, (and most others) butter.

I like the American version better. When I make the Greek version…well… then I will have really accomplished something.

These biscotti are perfectly hard, but not too hard, sweet but not too sweet, and above all just delicious. When I have them with coffee I get a glassy look in my eyes because I have briefly visited a taste utopia.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 1/4 whole wheat pastry flour (you can alternately use all purpose flour)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup raw hazelnuts
• 3/4 cup chopped semi sweet chocolate (I like the Ghirardelli bars)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast at 350 for about 8 minutes- or until they are fragrant and light brown. Cool and chop. Then lower oven temperature to 325.
3. Beat sugar and butter together, and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating each egg before adding the other one.
4. Whisk flours, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl and add to butter mixture.
5. Fold in chopped chocolate and hazelnuts. The mixture will be sticky.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper (not totally necessary if you don’t have parchment paper)
7. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a log about 3″ across.
8. Bake for about 30 minutes. Until the log is firm to the tough and lightly golden brown.
9. Take out of the oven and let cool for a good 20 minutes. Turn oven up to 350.
10. Using a serrated knife cut slices of biscotti. A generous 1/2″ or so and place onto a baking sheet. Bake for about 6-8 minutes, then flip the biscotti and bake the other side until they are an even golden brown.

adapted from http://twistycookies.tumblr.com/