Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Today, May 15, is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. In honor of such a yummy day and for your sake, I took step by step pictures of homemade biscotti. Oh yeah, I’m breaking the coffee shop secrets. First it was scones and now biscotti.

Biscotti is not hard to make. It does take a while as you bake them twice. In fact, I think that’s what biscotti means: twice baked. Whatever. They taste yummy and just like the scones, you’ll be so glad you made your own.

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

recipe from Williams-Sonoma: Cookies and Biscotti

• 1/2 c. butter, at room temp.
• 1/2 c. packed brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder (I just use Folger’s regular instant)
• 2 eggs
• 2 c. flour
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (opt.)

Preheat oven to 325^o. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cream together butter, brown sugar, white sugar, and espresso powder until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, until light and fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients if you want or just dump all together into creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Add chocolate chips and walnuts.

Divide dough in half on baking sheets. Spread with spatula, forming logs about 3-4” wide and 3/4” thick. Bake until firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Let cool for 5 minutes.

Transfer logs to cutting board and cut into 1/2” diagonal slices. Place each cookie on baking sheet, cut side down. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn over and bake another 10 minutes. Cool. Makes about 3 dozen.

Parchment paper makes life easy. Go get yourself some.

Be patient as you shape the dough. It might take a while at first, but you’ll get there.

It’s not going to be perfect. Be okay with that.

But as it bakes, it rounds out nicely. Also, remember what your mom and home ec teacher told you- don’t open the over door while it bakes. I risked my biscotti for this picture for you.

It’s okay. Since you baked on parchment just lift the still slightly soft dough with a large pancake turner type spatula and transfer to cutting board.

Cut the edges really slim and eat right away. Yum. Then cut the rest of the log into the regular size cookies. Careful- hot chocolate chips can burn.

Think of the second baking more like toasting the cut edges. It may (or may not) help you wait patiently.

These biscotti are so yummy. I’ve never been able to find instant espresso powder so I’ve always used Folger’s regular instant coffee and it’s been just fine. I do not taste the coffee, but some do. The coffee along with the cinnamon add a nice depth of flavor. I never add walnuts. Not a nuts-in-my-chocolate chip cookies fan.

Enjoy!