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:

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

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

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  3. 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!

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

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  5. 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??

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  6. 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

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  7. 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!

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