Almond and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

When you are looking for something a little more glamorous and rusks don't quite fit the bill, these hot beverage dippers are just the thing.  Actually, they were traditionally dipped in dessert wine or sweet wine, for example, Vin Santo, which is a style of Italian dessert wine.  The nutty almond or hazelnut flavours are an ideal compliment to sweeter wines that have aged a while

It's been a long time since I last made these chocolate chip and almond bisccotti.  I was expecting a bit of a schlepp and a process.  Not the case, these were so quick and easy.  I had them mixed, baked (twice, as the Italian name suggests) and in a biscuit jar in the twinkling of an eye!  The original recipe calls for hazelnuts to compliment the chocolate.  I didn't have any when I wanted to make this recipe so I substituted the hazelnuts with flaked almonds - just as good.

Almond and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Baking time: 70 minutes
Oven temperature: 180 °C

INGREDIENTS

270 g cake flour
1 t baking powder
40 g butter
200 g sugar
2 large eggs  (preferably from pasture-raised hens)
1/2 t vanilla extract (I like this one)
100 g flaked almonds
100 g dark chocolate chips

METHOD

1.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt.
2.  Cream the butter and sugar together.
3.  Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition
4.  Add the vanilla extract

5.  Sift the dry ingredients over the mixture and blend until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

6.  Halve the dough and roll it into two 30 cm-long logs.  Lightly flour the surface and your hands to prevent sticking.

7.  Bake for 35 minutes until golden.  Remove from the oven and cut into slices.

Sliced biscotti arranged  on a nifty drying rack that my Vati made for me!

8.  Lower the oven temperature to 150 °C and return the sliced biscotti to the oven for a further 30 minutes to dry.
9.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool before storing in an airtight jar.

A gift for my cousin who is adulting in a big way now that he has been admitted to the bar.

Et voilà!  Your jar-filler, chocolate chip and almond biscotti, ready to be dunked into your flat white or vino santo!