Smoked Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

All these lovely treats are transferred to platters to share. Then we have a smorgasbord-style feast on the deck or by the fire, depending on the season.  Most times, I only have to put out the wine and/or coffee, and I’m done. I find it extremely respectful and thoughtful that people arrive with food. Although I love to cook, bake, and create cocktails, it’s nice to know Ithere is no expectation to on weekends.

For a recent weekend dinner party, among the bits and pieces left over from said friends, I spied a half bag of smoked almonds. Those,  mini chocolate chips, and soft light brown sugar make up this delicious biscotti.  Frankly, it is not an understatement to say this Smoked Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti recipe is amazing.

Actually, the batter is so good I physically retrained myself from eating half of it. These Smoked Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti have a sweet, smoky taste. The brown sugar adds another complementary layer of flavor. Furthermore, with nuggets of semi-sweet chocolate chips, the result is sheer biscotti perfection.

Dip these in chocolate FTW

I highly recommend going the extra lap. So dip (at least) half of the batch into melted semi-sweet chocolate and then add chocolate sprinkles. There was a birthday boy at this  dinner party, so extra fancy rules. However, these biscotti are plenty good and flavorful all by their naked selves. No extra finery is in order.

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Smoked Almond Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Course Coffee Break, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Keyword Almond Biscotti, Biscotti recipe, Chocolate chip biscotti, Homemade Biscotti

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Servings 2 Dozen

Author Lora Wiley-Lennartz

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 tablespoons butter room temperature
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup smoked almonds pulverized
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Whisk together the flour and baking powder and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a mixer, beat butter and sugar until combined.
5. Add eggs and extract.
6. Add flour mixture until thoroughly combined.
7. Turn the mixer down to low and add almonds and chips.
8. Divide the dough in half. Shape each half lengthwise on the baking sheet into a long log about 3 inches wide.
9. Pat the tops down to flatten them. Make sure there is at least 2 inches between the logs.
10. Bake for about 20-25 minutes until the logs turn golden brown.
11. Turn oven down to 250°F. Remove the baking sheet. Let stand 10 minutes.
12. Slice each log into 1-inch pieces. Lay them on their sides and return to the oven.
13. When the biscotti are completely dry, transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe Notes

For the Chocolate Dipped Version:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chopped
A dab of vegetable shortening, if needed
Chocolate sprinkles

Directions:

Place the wire rack with the biscotti over a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Melt the chocolate in a shallow heat-proof bowl in the microwave at 30-second intervals.
Stir the chocolate in between until it is completely melted.
If the chocolate is too thick, add a dab of vegetable shortening and blend.
Place chocolate sprinkles on a flat plate.
Dip the bottoms of the biscotti into the melted chocolate, then gently press the dipped part into the sprinkles.
Lay biscotti on its side on the wire rack. If the space is big enough, stand the biscotti upside down, chocolate dipped side up.
When the chocolate has hardened, plate and serve.