Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

I love biscotti. Love love love it. I often make it on Sunday nights as a treat and send C with it or surprise my English department friends with it. I have been wanting to make a chocolate hazelnut biscotti for awhile now, and when I stumbled across this recipe from Smitten Kitchen, I was excited.

I am not sure where I went wrong, because although the taste was good, these were a dental bill waiting to happen. Too crunchy for my tastes, and I love dunking in my coffee or tea! I may have overbaked them so I will either give these another test-run, or I will find another recipe to try.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti
as seen on Smitten Kitchen, adapted from the New York Times

Ingredients
1 cup whole hazelnuts, preferably blanched
2 1/2 cups flour, plus flour for work surface
1/2 cup Dutch-style cocoa powder
1 tablespoon espresso powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread hazelnuts on baking sheet and toast about 10 minutes, until lightly browned. If hazelnuts are not blanched, toast them until the skins begin to crack, then remove them from oven and wrap them in clean linen or cotton towel (not terrycloth). Rub hot nuts to remove most of the skin. Set toasted nuts aside.

2. Sift the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and baking powder together and set aside.

3. Beat eggs lightly, just until blended, in mixing bowl with whisk or in electric mixer. Remove two tablespoons of egg mixture to small dish and set aside. Beat sugar into remaining eggs until blended. Stir in flour mixture to form soft dough.

4. Divide the dough in half and place one portion on a well-floured work surface. With floured hands, pat it into a six-inch square. Scatter half the hazelnuts on the dough and press them into the surface. Roll the dough into a cylinder about 2 inches in diameter and 12 to 15 inches long. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper and place the roll of dough on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough. Brush the tops of both rolls with the reserved egg.

5. Place in the oven and bake about 15 minutes, until firm to the touch (20 minutes in my oven). Transfer to a cutting board, let cool for 10 minutes and cut on an angle into slices one-half-inch thick. Return the slices to the baking sheet, laying them on their cut sides, and return them to the oven. Bake another 20 minutes, until they are crisp and dry. Allow to cool completely before storing or serving.