Ingredients
Directions
Christopher Columbus included hardtack in his ship’s stores when he sailed west across the Atlantic. The sweet dry cookies we are familiar with today as biscotti are thought to have originated in the town of Prato in the Italian region of Tuscany. They are often served with café, cappuccino, tea, or with a glass of Vin Santo, one of the Tuscany’s famous sweet dessert wines. Their crispy texture makes biscotti perfect for dunking without falling into pieces.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, whip the eggs along with the brown and granulated sugar and salt on high speed until thick and light in texture, about 5 minutes and turn off the mixer. On low speed, mix in the anise ground and seeds, the sifted flour and baking soda until just incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the almonds and blend until evenly combined. Spread the dough out between sheets of plastic wrap to form a 4x12-inch (10x30cm) slab. Refrigerate until firm. Unwrap and place the slab on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat.
Set the oven rack adjusted to the middle position and bake in a preheated 350ºF/180ºC oven for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 325ºF/160ºC if using a convection oven. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool 10 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 275ºF (135ºC). Using a serrated knife, cut the slab crosswise at 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices cookies on the baking tray and bake until golden brown and crips for about 30 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to wire racks and let cool completely. Biscotti will stay fresh for up to a couple of weeks stored in paper bags. Buon appetito!
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, whip the eggs along with the brown and granulated sugar, salt, instant coffee and vanilla on high speed until thick and light in texture, about 5 minutes and add the melted butter. On low speed, mix in the sifted powders until just incorporated. Scrap down the sides of the bowl and add the chocolate chips or discs and pistachios and blend until evenly combined. Spread the dough out between sheets of plastic wrap to form a 4x12-inch (10x30cm) slab. Refrigerate until firm. Unwrap and place the slab on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat.
Set the oven rack adjusted to the middle position and bake in a preheated 350ºF (180ºC) oven for 30 minutes. Lower temperature to 325ºF (160ºC) if using a convection oven. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool 20 minutes or more (chocolate biscotti is more fragile). Lower the oven temperature to 275ºF (135ºC). Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the slab crosswise at 45-degree angle into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place the slices cookies on the baking tray and bake for about 35 minutes. Transfer the chocolate pistachio biscotti to wire racks and let cool completely. Biscotti will stay fresh for up to a couple of weeks stored in paper bags. Buon Appetito!
