A biscotti is a cookie said to have originated in the Italian city of Prato. The word is said to have derived from the Latin word for "twice baked."
Biscotti are derived from a centuries-old recipe, but today, there are numerous creative variations that incorporate all sorts of ingredients and flavors. These chocolate and pistachio biscotti are a good example of that trend.
Biscotti are very dry. Therefore, they are typically served with an after-dinner drink and used for dunking. In Italy, they are most often served with a heavy wine, and in the United States usually with a coffee, such as cappuccinos and lattes. (Dunking into a hot beverage makes the hard cookies much softer, to the delight of some.) The original recipes used almonds because the flavor went well with dipping into red wine.
These biscotti have become a favorite in Felicia Ciaramitaro Mohan's Gloucester home and are a must for any type of gathering, especially family occasions and holidays. The only thing to be careful about is that when you serve them once, they will be requested again and again.
Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup green pistachio nuts, shelled
1/2 cup chocolate chips
16 ounces white chocolate (for drizzling)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and continue to mix on medium speed until well combined.
Carefully add dry mixture and continue to mix, forming stiff dough. Add nuts and chocolate chips to dough and mix well.
Transfer dough to counter and cut dough in half. On the counter, shape each half of dough into a log shape, 12 inches long 1/2 inch thick and 3 inches wide, and then carefully transfer to a parchment lined cookie sheet. The dough can be shaped smaller or larger, whichever you prefer.
Chill in the refrigerator 15 minutes before baking.
Bake 25 minutes. Remove cookie sheet from oven, and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees F. Let cookies cool on counter for 5 minutes.
Using a very sharp knife, slice cookies 1 inch wide, and lay them on their side. Place cookies onto cookie sheet and put back into oven and cook an additional 8 minutes.
Remove from oven and completely cool cookies.
Melt one bag (16 oz.) of good white chocolate in a double boiler.
Carefully transfer hot melted white chocolate into a pastry bag fitted with a small round tip. Place cooled cookies right side up and drizzle with chocolate.
• • •
Recipe courtesy of Felicia (Ciaramitaro) Mohan, 2012.
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