The word “biscotti” means “twice baked”, which is how these cookies are made. Treat this recipe as the basic framework of a biscotti recipe. Go ahead and adapt to your own taste. Such as change the type of nuts, or replace the almond extract flavour for grated lemon peel, and so on.
First start with 2 cups of almond meal
Add one teaspoon of baking powder and mix well in the almond meal
Cut two tablespoons of butter (salted), and add to the almond mix
Then get a small bowl, two eggs, and your choice of flavourings. In this case, the flavourings used were vanilla and almond extract
Beat the eggs in the little bowl, and mix in the flavourings. In this case, one teaspoon each of vanilla and almond extracts. Pour egg mixture into almond meal mix
Get pine nuts (or whatever nuts you prefer to use). Measure out about half cup and add to almond meal mix. Note, it is better to use soft nuts, like pine nuts, macadamias and pecans, because it will be easier to cut the biscotti dough
This is what you will have so far: almond meal, with butter, egg mixture and nuts. At this point, you may add your sweetener. Usually between one to four tablespoons, depending on your taste. Some people add nothing, and just let the flavourings do the job of adding some sweetness. Get in there with your hands and blend the ingredients to form a cookie dough
The dough should look something like this
Form a dough log on a parchment paper placed on cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes at 350 deg F
Log will have a bit of browning after baking
Transfer log to cutting board
Using serrated knife, carefully slice log to make cookies
Place the cookies on the parchment, and return to oven to bake for 15 minutes at 350 deg F. Flip cookies to brown other side, and bake another 15 minutes more
While cookies are baking, take a bit of dark chocolate and butter and add to a ziplock bag. In this case, two squares 90% Lindt with one teaspoon butter
Place bag with one corner down in a container. Boil some hot water in a kettle
Add boiling hot water to container to melt chocolate
When cookies are done baking, remove from oven, and place them close to each other (which will make adding chocolate easier)
Pull melted chocolate out of hot water bath
Invert bag, with point up, and cut the corner with scissors.
Squeeze melted chocolate, in a Jackson Pollock like manner (or do whatever design you prefer), all over the biscottis
Spread the biscottis out and let them cool down
Here’s what they look like when done
