Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti – #Choctoberfest

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are a chocolate and coffee lovers dream. The crisp twice-baked cookie is filled with delicious bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. A perfect cookie to dunk into your coffee.

This is a sponsored post by Divine Chocolates.  All opinions are my own. See disclosure for more details.

This is my first recipe for this year’s #Choctoberfest, and it’s a favorite of mine for several reasons.  First, it’s chocolate, I know, right – chocolate.  Second, it’s a cookie – but not just any cookie. It’s twice-baked which means when you dunk it into your coffee, it holds up.  It doesn’t break off and sink.  So you get the flavors of chocolate, hazelnuts, and coffee when you take a bite.  That’s my favorite reason right there.  Lastly, biscotti is a perfect gift to make for the holidays.  It freezes well so you can make it ahead of time.

To make this chocolate hazelnut biscotti, I used 70% bittersweet chocolate from our #Choctoberfest sponsor, Divine Chocolates.  I didn’t think chocolate could taste any better, but the chocolates from Divine are just that – divine.  Divine Chocolate is a Fair Trade company, and that’s important to me. Companies doing their part to help farmers and workers globally to enable them to take control and build sustainable futures for themselves, their families, and in the communities they live. Want to know more about Divine Chocolate’s connection with Fair Trade? Just go to their site and read about it, then click on over to the shop and load up your cart with this delicious chocolate.

If you’ve never made biscotti before, it’s super easy to do. The very first time I did, I wondered why I had never done so before.  My number one tip for this recipe, or any recipe really, is to read through the recipe first and set out every ingredient used before starting.  This will make the process go smoothly.

It’s easy to make biscotti

Once the dough is mixed, you’ll divide the dough in half.  Each half is then shaped into a 9 x 2.5 inch log.

This is what it will look like after the first bake.  You’ll let this cool for 45 minutes before baking it the second time. Yes, 45 minutes.  This will allow the chocolate to harden slightly so that when you cut each log into slices, you won’t have a melted mess on your hand.

Once the logs are cooled, use a serrated knife to cut into 1/2 inch slices. Cut on the diagonal.  Then bake for a second time, according to the recipe directions. It’s essential to bake the biscotti twice with the first bake at a higher temperature, and the second bake a little lower.  This will give the cookie its crisp twice-baked feature.  I also like to flip the biscotti over halfway through the second bake so that both sides get browned and crisp.

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If you want to freeze the biscotti, do so once it’s completely cooled. I like to single layer wrap them with wax paper and place into a freezer bag.  To thaw the cookies, I simply take out what I need, place them in a resealable bag, and set them out on the counter for a few minutes or the night before.

After the second bake, remove to wire racks to cool. Then enjoy!

To find out more about Divine Chocolate, follow them on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are a chocolate and coffee lovers dream. The crisp twice-baked cookie is filled with delicious bittersweet chocolate and toasted hazelnuts. A perfect cookie to dunk into your coffee.

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Author: Lisa Kerhin

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup butter softened
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup toasted hazelnuts chopped*
• 4 oz Divine Chocolates bittersweet chocolate chopped**

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat. If you do not have either of those, simply spray the baking sheet lightly with non-stick spray.
• In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer (or use a stand mixer) on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the brown sugar and combine well.
• Add the baking powder and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl as needed.
• Add in the eggs and beat until combined.
• Add in the cocoa powder and blend well, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
• Add in the flour using the mixer, a little at a time.
• Using a wooden spoon, fold in the hazelnuts and 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate with a wooden spoon.
• Divide dough in half and shape each portion into a 9-inch-long roll. Place rolls 4 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet; slightly flatten each roll to 2 1/2 inches wide.
• Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool on cookie sheet for 45 minutes (yes this long so that that chocolate has a chance to harden slightly. It will make it easier to cut the rolls into slices.)
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.
• Cut each roll diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices, slicing carefully using a serrated knife. Place slices, cut sides down, on cookie sheet.
• Bake in 325 degree oven for 14 – 18 minutes, turning the slices over halfway between cooking time. You want the biscotti to be dry and crisp. I like to take mine out of the oven after 16 minutes. Transfer the biscotti to wire racks and let cool.

Notes

* I buy hazelnuts that are already toasted and chopped but if you can’t find those, you can toast your own. To toast nuts, spread them in a single layer in a shallow baking pan. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 4 to 5 minutes or until nuts are slightly golden brown, stirring a couple of times. Wrap warm nuts in a clean kitchen towel. Rub nuts in towel to remove any loose skins; cool completely. Chop nuts and use in recipe as directed.

** Divine Chocolate bar of bittersweet chocolate is a 5.3 ounce bar. I used all but 8 little squares of it in this recipe. If you want extra chocolate chunks, use the full bar chopped.

Nutritional Disclaimer

“Blogghetti” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Tried this recipe?I hope you enjoy all the recipes I share with you, including this one! I hope you try it, enjoy it, comment and rate it, and share it with your friends and family!

Thank you to Divine Chocolates for being a #Choctoberfest sponsor and providing the wonderful chocolate I used in this recipe. Be sure to check out all of the other #Choctoberfest recipes being posted today. Then don’t forget to head over here and enter the sweet giveaway!

Enjoy!