CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT BISCOTTI
Ingredients:
1/2 cup each hazelnuts and almonds
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coffee extract or 2 tablespoons Amaretto or Fra Angelico liqueur
3 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a bake sheet with parchment or butter and flour it.. Toast the hazelnuts and almonds until fragrant and browned, 8-10 minutes. While the hazelnuts are still warm, rub the nuts in a clean tea towel to loosen and remove their skin, Allow them to cool in a bowl, then chop the hazelnuts and almonds in half or thirds.. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees
Break up the chocolate into a pieces and melt in the microwave full power for 2 minutes or slightly more. Reserve the nuts and chocolate.
Cream the butter and sugar in an electric mixer until lightly fluffed, at least 2 minutes. Work in the eggs one at a time . Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the vanilla and liqueur or coffee extract with the machine running. Add the melted chocolate.
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add this dry mixture to the egg mixture in three installments. Mix only until just blended. Fold the hazelnuts and chocolate.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the dough with flour and divide it in half. Shape the dough into 2 rectangles: 2" wide and 1" high and 12" long. Bake for 30 minutes, until firm with an internal temperature of 200 degrees.
Lift the loaves out onto a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Using a serrated knife slice logs 1/2" thick at a 45 degree angle and place slices on the sheet pan. Bake another 10 - 15 minutes, turning them once. Cool completely on a rack before sealing in a jar or tin and storing.
Adapted from a recipe in Biscotti by Lou Seibert Pappas
