Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Coffee's Best Friend - Biscotti di Castagna e Nocciole

Coffee has a best friend, and that friend is called biscotti. I have access to all these wonderful hazelnuts so it would be a crime for me to not pull out this recipe again. After all, I have been consuming a lot of lonely coffee... ;)

Chestnut Biscotti with Hazelnuts

1/2 cup Chestnut Flour (Farina di Castagna)
1/2 cup AP Flour
1 cup ground Hazelnuts
3 TB unrefined cane sugar (such as Demerara)
1/2 tsp salt
2 TB Chestnut Puree (sweetened)
2 Large Eggs
1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup 70% bittersweet chocolate, chopped (or Rapunzel 70% Chocolate Chips)

Combine the flours, ground hazelnuts, sugar, and salt in a medium mixing-bowl or a mixer.

Add the chestnut puree, and mix until combined.

Add the eggs one by one, and mix until combined between each;

the dough will be tacky.

Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips with a spatula.

Cover and chill for an hour; the dough will be easier to handle.

Preheat the oven to 350° F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Shape into a flattened log, 12 by 4", on the prepared baking sheet.

(The dough will still be a bit tacky so use a piece of plastic wrap to assist in shaping the loaves)

Bake for 30 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove from the oven (reduce the oven to 325) and let cool for 5 minutes before transferring the loaf to a cutting board, cut into ½ inch slices with a bread knife.

Return the slices to the baking sheet, cut side up, and bake for another 10 minutes, remove again and flip the slices over , baking another 10 minutes or until golden brown and well dried.

Transfer to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with espresso or a nice cup of French press.

Oh, just in case you were curious.... The Demitasse pattern is "Roman Festival" 55/1670 by Royal Crown. I thought it's use was à propos.

Mangia!!
~~

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow Fantastic...it looks delicious...i, glad your back online showing just pictures of delicious food...miss ya!

Anonymous said...

Oh I really REALLLY want some of this right now, as I sit here with my lonely coffee, sniff sniff.

Bob said...

Oh man, I love biscotti. When I worked at Starbucks I would mow on that stuff all the time. Hazelnuts and chocolate are one of the greatest combination's in the world as well. Great job!

Dajana said...

They must be gorgeous with coffee, though in Tuscany you'd serve them with Vin Santo. Shall I pass you the bottle?

Patti T. said...

I love biscotti with my coffee, I am sure this is very tasty but I don't often eat chocolate. Seems like most people like chocolate, every time I go to buy biscotti, it is hard to find one that doesn't have chocolate in it or on it. MMmmmmm picturing this with a nice cup of hazelnut coffee. Just wondering, do you ever drink flavored coffee??

Unknown said...

love the coffee cup!! I think I tried making biscotti once? I forget but yours looks wonderful. wish I had one for my now cold coffee. Btw...since you have all those hazelnuts, will you be attempting to make your own nutella? :D

Spryte said...

Very interesting... I think the only chestnuts I've ever had are water chestnuts... I'm guessing very different.

I'd love to try this!