Simple Pistachio & Dark Chocolate Biscotti
Perfectly paired with a hot cup of tea, cocoa, or, if you must, coffee, this biscotti cantucci is a great little nutty, chocolatey treat. I first made this recipe in pastry school, and having not been a big biscotti fan, I can’t admit to feeling too excited by the prospect of making this originally. I can admit my mistake since my mind was quickly changed with this easy recipe. I’m usually a strong advocate for zero nuts in baked goods but this is one of the few occasions where the pairing of pistachio with the sweet dark chocolate in a crunchy biscotti just makes delicious sense.
The cool thing about this biscotti is that you can tailor it to your needs relatively easily. Prefer a different nut or chocolate? Swap it out. Want your pieces a little wider? Roll your log shorter! This recipe gives you the base measurements of everything you’ll need for a small batch of biscotti, so adjust it as your tastebuds or inspiration strike!
This would make a great, cozy gift, wrapped up in a box for the holidays or as a simple housewarming present. It comes together quickly and tastes yum.
Happy biscotti baking!
If you love this recipe, please rate and review it below and tag @accentgolden in your bakes on social!
WHAT IS BISCOTTI?
Biscotti is an Italian treat originally made for soldiers in ancient Rome, since they were easily transported and stored. Biscotti as we know it today is often served with coffee, but it was originally paired with wine! The first part of the word, “bis,” means “twice-baked,” which is exactly what makes biscotti so… crunchy. You’ll form your dough into a log and pop it in the oven until baked. Then, using a serrated knife, you’ll cut your baked biscotti log into those traditional, angled pieces, lay them on their sides back on the baking tray, and pop them back in the oven for a final bake on each side. The first bake is to literally bake the dough, while the second is to help preserve it.
Do you need to chop your nuts before mixing them in? Nope! That’s what makes biscotti even easier. Add your nuts in whole, that way when you slice your biscotti, you’ll get those pretty previews of the inside of the nut exposed in every slice.
INGREDIENTS
- Sugar: Offers a hint of sweetness but mainly provides texture and that crispy biscotti structure
- Flour: Key for the structure of these cookies, helping with both the crunch and the chew
- Baking Powder: Helps to bring a little puff to your biscotti without making it doughy
- Egg: Adds a little bit of moisture but mainly acts as the key binding agent, holding your dough together
- Pistachios: Whole with their shells removed for that nutty crunch
- Dark Chocolate: Cut into chunks for a sweet balance
“I want bigger biscotti pieces, should I roll my log wider?” Not necessarily. Your biscotti dough will spread almost double in size as it bakes (see above photos), so keep that in mind as you roll your log. If you size your biscotti log smaller or larger, note that your baking times may slightly differ.
HOW TO MAKE PISTACHIO & DARK CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
Get your oven heating to 300°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Grab a bowl and sift in your flour, sugar, and baking powder before stirring in your whole pistachios and chopped dark chocolate. Crack your egg into a separate small bowl and whisk it together until uniform and no clumps of egg whites are seen. Pour a third of your beaten egg into the bowl with the rest of your ingredients and use a dough scraper or a large spoon to cut the egg through the mixture, then add another third, cut through, and repeat with the final third of your egg, until it’s all incorporated.
Press your dough together in the bowl with your hands before dumping it onto your counter and rolling it into a log. I roll mine into a 6 ½”x 2” log, but if you want smaller or larger biscotti, roll… a smaller or larger log, keeping in mind that it should about double in size as it bakes. Place your log onto your lined baking tray, putting the side with any cracks facing down, and bake for 32-35 minutes. Your log should be lightly golden brown on top, and when you press it, it should have very little give.
Remove your biscotti from the oven and pull your parchment paper, with the biscotti on it, off the baking tray and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes to cool. Grab a serrated knife and place your baked biscotti log onto a cutting board before carefully cutting slices at an angle, about ½” – ¾” thick.
Put your parchment paper back on your baking tray and line it with your cut biscotti pieces, cut side up, before placing them back in the oven to bake for an additional 2-3 minutes per side. After the first two minutes, remove the tray from the oven, flip each piece of biscotti over, and return the tray to the oven for the final bake.
Remove your tray from the oven and place the twice-baked biscotti onto a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these easy Italian cookies with your favorite hot beverage!
TIPS & VARIATIONS
- If you prefer a different filling, you can easily swap out the pistachios and/or dark chocolate for any nuts, dried fruit, or chocolate that your prefer. Also, if you want to do two chocolates, halve the amount of dark chocolate and substitute for another chocolate. White chocolate would be delicious in these!
- There are no spices added in this recipe but if you want to warm these up with a little cinnamon or nutmeg, just add anywhere from 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon, depending on how much you like, of ground spice into your dry mixture before mixing in your nuts and chocolate
MAKING AHEAD & STORING
As I mentioned above, biscotti were originally created to keep for long periods of time. You can store your baked biscotti in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. If you want to make some to save for longer, you can freeze your baked biscotti for up to three months!
MORE DARK CHOCOLATE RECIPES
For my dark chocolate lovers, these Dark Chocolate Oat Pantry Cookies are packed with pantry staples like coconut flakes, sprinkles, sea salt, and, of course, pools of dark chocolate. If you’re looking for something a little more unique but incredibly simple, try these Easy Chocolate-Dipped Sesame Shortbread Cookies. If you’re into a rich dark chocolate vibe, this Dark Chocolate S’mores Pavlova is made up of a baked French meringue, filled with a thick layer of whipped dark chocolate ganache, and a buttery graham cracker topping.
Equipment
- Baking Tray
- Parchment Paper
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Spatulas
- Serrrated Knife
- Wire Rack
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup whole pistachios shells removed
- ⅛ cup dark chocolate cut into chunks
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 300F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- In a bowl, sift together your sugar, flour, and baking powder before stirring in your nuts and chopped chocolate
- In a small bowl, whisk together your egg until homogenous (aka no whites are still visible). Pour a third of your whisked egg into your dry ingredients, cut through with a knife or a dough scraper to combine, and repeat with the remaining two-thirds until all of your egg is incorporated
- Use your hands to compress and bring together your dough before dumping it on your counter and rolling it into a 6 ½”x 2” log. This will spread as it bakes so don’t worry if it seems skinny
- Place your log – with any cracks facing down – onto your parchment-lined baking tray and bake for 32-35 minutes, until golden brown along the top (when you press it, it should have very little resistance)
- Pull your parchment with your biscotti on it, off the baking tray and let sit (still on the parchment paper) on the counter for 10 minutes
- Use a serrated knife to gently cut slices between ½” – ¾” thick, cutting at an angle, on a cutting board. Place your parchment paper back on your baking sheet and lay each piece with one side facing up back on your tray. Bake for an additional 2-3 minutes per side (removing, flipping, and baking the other side), until lightly toasted on each
- Remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack
- Enjoy alongside your favorite hot beverage!
