Simple Pistachio Dark Chocolate Biscotti
Perfectly paired with a hot cup of tea, cocoa, or, if you must, coffee, this pistachio dark chocolate 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. But my mind was quickly changed (and this recipe is so easy).
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.
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.
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PISTACHIO DARK CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
Biscotti is an Italian treat originally made for soldiers in ancient Rome, since the snacks were easily transported and stored.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. The first bake is to literally bake the dough, while the second, after you slice it, is to help preserve it.
The cool thing about this biscotti is that you can easily tailor it to your tastes. Prefer a different nut or chocolate? Swap it out. Want your pieces a little wider? Roll your log shorter!
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 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?” 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
Preheat your oven and make your homemade biscotti dough…
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 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 6 ½”x 2” log. Place your log onto your lined baking tray, putting the side with any cracks facing down.
Bake your chocolate biscotti (twice!)…
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.
Cool and enjoy your cookies…
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 you prefer. If you want to do two chocolates, halve the amount of dark chocolate and substitute another chocolate. White chocolate would be delicious!
- There are no spices added in this recipe, but you can warm these up with a little cinnamon or nutmeg. 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, Italian biscotti recipes 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
- Dark Chocolate Oat Pantry Cookies
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Easy Chocolate-Dipped Sesame Shortbread Cookies
- Chocolate Olive Oil Cake with Mint Dark Chocolate Ganache
EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED
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 300°F 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 no gloops of whites are 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
- Transfer to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to gently cut slices between ½” – ¾” thick, cutting at an angle. 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!
