Cherry Chocolate and Almond Biscotti

Biscotti. They’re those overpriced, tooth-cracking biscuits you get in large chain coffee shops, right? Well that’s what I thought. Until I tasted a homemade version. When sliced thinly these are a delicate treat. Biscotti are Italian twice baked biscuits, designed for dunking into a cup of coffee or serving alongside a creamy dessert such as panna cotta.

Biscotti will keep for ever! Well, probably not, but it certainly seems like they do when stored in an airtight container. This makes them perfect to make in a big batch and whip out whenever you have guests. They are also great to make as an edible gift of you like to send something homemade to a friend.

 

 

Useful tips & links:

• Biscotti can made with any flavours you like. Change the fruit to cranberries or sultanas, add cocoa to the flour, use pistachios or hazelnuts instead of almonds…the list is endless.
• If you want to make these seasonal for a Christmas gift, make them with cranberries, orange, pistachios and cinnamon. Have a look at these cookies for the flavour combination.
• Instead of adding chocolate chips, coat them in chocolate by dipping the baked biscotti into melted chocolate.
• Have a look at other biscotti recipes from Awkward Irish Girl Blogs and from Lilly Higgins.

 

Cherry Chocolate and Almond Biscotti

Makes approx. 30

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, beaten
• 225g of caster sugar
• 225g of plain flour
• 25g of ground almonds
• A pinch of salt
• 1½ tsp of baking powder
• 125g of dried cherries
• 70g of dried apricots
• 70g of blanched almonds
• 50g of dark chocolate chips
• The zest of 1 lemon

 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180c/160c fan/gas mark 4. Line a couple of baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.
• Put all of the rest of the ingredients into another bowl and mix everything well together. Gradually add the egg and sugar mixture into the dry ingredients and fold them through. You might think it will not combine fully but keep at it until you have a soft mixture.
• Divide the mix into three and shape into logs on the baking sheets. Water your hands slightly to make them easier to handle. Flatten them slightly but be aware they do not rise too much when baking.
• Bake for about 30-40 minutes until the logs are golden, firm and peel away from the paper easily.
• Allow them to cool a bit to set before cutting them. Lower the oven to 140c/120c fan/gas mark 1.
• Slice the logs on the diagonal into 1cm wide biscuits. Use a serrated bread knife to do this. Put the biscuits back onto the baking sheets and then back into the oven for 12 minutes for their second bake. Take them out and turn over the biscuits. Bake for a further 10 minutes until they are pale golden and dried out.
• Cool on a wire rack and keep in an airtight container.