These Italian biscotti cookies are easy to bake and perfect served on the side of a coffee. Discover how to make this chocolate-dipped almond cookie with our simple dessert recipe.
Visually stunning and unbelievably simple to bake, chocolate almond biscotti is a just-sweet-enough cookie that pairs beautifully with your favorite hot drink. They make lovely holiday gifts if you’re willing to share.
With beginnings in medieval Italy, biscotti are extra crispy, twice-baked cookies strong enough to stand up to a nice, long dunk into a hot cup of coffee or cocoa. Instead of the traditional disc shape, bakers cut them into logs out of slabs of dough flecked with spices and nuts.
Main Ingredients
Biscotti is such a fun treat because home chefs can quickly implement virtually endless combinations of flavors into the basic recipe.
This recipe shines thanks to the classic flavors of bitter orange Cointreau and dark chocolate.
Almonds
One of the main attractions of these chocolate biscotti is the whole almonds studded throughout. For best results, give them a light toasting in the oven and cool before adding into your dough. It brings out a lovely depth.
Cointreau
This recipe includes a splash of Cointreau for a citrusy zip that balances the dark chocolate. Sub it out for Grand Marnier, triple sec, or curacao.
Flour
Double the almonds, double the delicious! Swap out traditional flour with a 1:1 ratio of almond flour.
Dark Chocolate
Biscotti is meant to have a subtle sweetness. Add dark chocolate chips straight into the dough, then dip or drizzle in more melted dark chocolate if you want to amp up the richness.
Expert Tips
- If your biscotti dough is too dry, gradually add in a few tablespoons of water during the final mix until you hit the right consistency.
- Biscotti last up to three days on the countertop or three months in the freezer. Make some ahead of the holidays, then tuck away as gifts for your coworkers and neighbors.
- To maintain maximum freshness, keep your chocolate almond biscotti in a completely airtight container. It prevents staleness and helps maintain that iconic crunch.
- A freshly finished biscotti should be crisp and firm to the touch after the second bake. If your cookies are still soft, continue to cook in 2-3 minute increments until they’ve reached the right texture.
How to Make Chocolate Almond Biscotti
Start by gathering and measuring all dry ingredients- flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and the sugars– and whisking them together in a small bowl.
Once combined, set your dry ingredient mix to the side.
Cream together the butter and sugar until you notice the mixture fluff up and lighten in color.
Beat in the eggs, followed by the vanilla and Cointreau. Don’t go overboard on the orange liquor. A little goes a long way!
Add in ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mixing until the flour is no longer visible. Repeat two more times, with each new addition mixed until combined. Your dough should resemble thick, sticky cookie dough.
Fold in the toasted almonds and dark chocolate chips, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout.
Use a rubber scraper to take the sticky dough out of the mixing bowl and lay it on a lightly powdered work surface. Don’t use too much on the surface or when you powder your hands. You risk drying out the dough.
Separate the dough equally into two pieces. Roll the pieces out into logs roughly the same length on your prepared baking sheet. Lay them out on the sheet tray, then use your fingers to flatten the tops gently.
Now, it’s time for the first bake! Leave them in the oven at 350°F for 30-40 minutes, or until the biscotti have flattened out and formed large cracks on the surface.
With a serrated knife, slice at an angle across the logs, creating pieces around ½ – inch thick. Continue until you have 30 cookies.
Lay each cookie on its side on top of the parchment paper, then bake for an additional 15 minutes to achieve the maximum crunch factor.
Let your biscotti cool for at least an hour and a half, then enjoy the fruits of your labor along with a cup of coffee. You earned it!
Chocolate Almond Biscotti
Equipment
- baking sheet
- parchment paper
- electric or stand mixer
- serrated knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- ½ tbsp vanilla extract
- dash Cointreau
- ¾ cup toasted almonds whole
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C)
- Prepare your baking sheet with parchment paper
- Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
- Beat together brown sugar, white sugar, egg, butter, vanilla extract, and Cointreau with an electric or stand mixer until smooth.
- Add in ⅓ of the dry ingredients, mix until incorporated, then repeat twice more. It should resemble a thicker cake batter.
- If the dough dries, add in 1 tablespoon of water at a time until the dough thins to the correct consistency.
- Fold in the toasted almonds and chocolate chips until just mixed. The dough should now resemble a thin cookie dough and be workable.
- Turn out the mixing bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Dust your hands with flour, as the dough will be sticky.
- Roll out the dough into two cylinders and place them on your prepared baking sheet. They should be the full length of the sheet. Gently flatten the tops.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, watching for the biscotti to spread out.
- Remove from the oven, turning it down to 325°F (160°C), and let the cookies cool completely.
- Using your serrated knife, slice them down into ½-inch pieces. Place the slices back on the cookie sheet, then brush with egg wash.
- Bake for 15 minutes, or until firm and crispy.
