Chocolate chip cookies are just about as classic as a bake can get. They are just about everywhere you turn. Sometimes, you want to take those classic flavors and fold them into something just a little less common, something that doesn’t try too hard but is worth all the attention that it will get. These Chocolate Chunk Biscotti are full of chunks of milk and dark chocolate, lightly salted, and get a boost of that classic chocolate chip cookie flavor from the light brown sugar.
They are pretty much a chocolate chip cookie all grown up–perfect for when you’ve made that transition from drinking milk in the morning to drinking coffee. Like their inspiration, these are meant to be dunked; the crunchy texture of the cookie softens enough to get the perfect combination of bite and chew.
These Chocolate Chunk Biscotti are simple but packed full of chocolate chunks. The light hint of salt sprinkled on top helps to pull together the sweetness of the milk chocolate and the bitterness of the dark chocolate, and if you choose to use it, the olive oil brings a nice flavor that helps these biscotti stand out from your typical chocolate chip cookie. Plus, the pairing of dark chocolate and olive oil in your bakes might actually have some health benefits. Who knew!?
I can’t take full credit for this recipe though. My friend Jen sent me a message back in December asking if I had a recipe for chocolate chip biscotti. I had never made them before so I didn’t know of any winning recipes out there. Being the nerd I am, I decided to give it a go and worked on creating a recipe rather than searching for one. Let me just say that I have no regrets on that decision because these biscotti are pretty amazing.
I’m not just saying that because I have to either. I brought these to work and they were gone by the end of the day. People have brought these up on more than one occasion, asking when I was going to make them again. My friend and former boss brought a couple to her Italian mother who is always looking for biscotti recipes and told me I needed to send her the recipe.
We literally eat these two or three at a time in my family because one just isn’t enough. When making these, I like to use chocolate bars (I always go for the Ghirardelli Twilight Delight–72%–and Cadbury Dairy Milk) and chop them up to get chunks rather than using chocolate chips. The chunks distribute a bit more evenly. Besides that, they just look much prettier in these slices. After all, it has been said that people eat with their eyes first. If it’s something as simple as chopping up a chocolate bar over measuring out chocolate chips, you may as well go for it!
Prep Time | 10 minutes |
Cook Time | 45-50 minutes |
Servings |
biscotti
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- 295 grams all purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 89 mL extra-virgin olive oil or vegetable oil
- 60 grams light brown sugar
- 117 grams granulated sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 3 oz dark chocolate 70% or higher
- 3 oz milk chocolate chopped
- coarse/flaked sea salt for sprinkling
- 1 cup bittersweet/dark chocolate chips melted, for drizzling
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet--or two small baking sheets--with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat together the oil and sugars until light in color. This should take about 2-3 minutes on medium high.
- Add in the eggs, one at a time, and mix until fully combined. Add in the vanilla extract and the almond extract. Mix until combined.
- Stir in 1/2 of the dry ingredients and mix until the dough just starts to come together. Add in the second 1/2 and mix until just combined.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in the chopped chocolate until evenly distributed while being careful not to overmix the dough.
- Using the rubber spatula, split the dough in half. Lightly flour your hands (the dough will be a bit sticky), and on the prepared baking sheet, shape the dough lengthwise into two logs about 3" x 10" or 3" x 11". (If using one large baking sheet, try to shape your logs along the edges as they will spread while baking and you don't want them to bake into one another). Sprinkle the logs with a bit of coarse or flaked salt.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet. In the meantime, lower the oven to 300°F.
- After the 10 minutes has passed, transfer the two logs to a cutting board or countertop. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into 1/2" thick slices.
- Line the baking sheet with another piece of parchment paper and line up the sliced cookies so that one of the cut sides faces up.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes at 300°F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet. The biscotti will feel soft while hot, but they will harden and dry out as they cool.
- Once cooled, move to a wire rack or set on top of a piece of wax or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate chips according to the instructions on the package. Using either a piping bag with the tip cut off (or a spoon), drizzle the melted chocolate over the up-facing side of the biscotti. Allow the drizzle to set-up and store in an airtight container.
* You can use olive oil or vegetable oil for this recipe. The olive oil will have a strong smell while mixing, but it lends a more muted flavor to the biscotti themselves. I love the way olive oil pairs with chocolate, but if you want a more muted flavor, you can go with vegetable oil.