I have a dear friend who has a birthday on August 30, and I make her biscotti every year, because she loves coffee, and has everything else. So I decided to photograph the process, even though everyone knows how to make the stuff.
Crisco is the shortening I use for it. You can use butter, but the flavor would be lost with all this chocolate, and since I am Irish (that country is not too far from Scotland) I like to savc a little money when it won't compromise the flavor.
Add the eggs one at at time (I use jumbos for cooking), and beat the devil out of the eggs, sugar and shortening.
Cocoa is lumpy so I sift it with the flour.
Just barely mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture, and then add the
chocolate chips. Here I used milk chocolate; semi-sweet are good too.
I use whole pecans, but if you like to work go ahead and chop them. I do chop the almonds.
Form the batch of dough into a log, and bake. Cool completely, slice and bake again. My dad made this cutting board out of a huge cotton wood log, and it has had the wear! 
I decorate mine with royal icing--egg whites, vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make an icing. Yes, I know all about salmonella, but this dries, and no one has ever been poisoned with my royal icing! These got a little crispier than I like, and after looking at this photo I am almost tempted to go buy a couple of new cookie sheet. "Almost."
Crisco is the shortening I use for it. You can use butter, but the flavor would be lost with all this chocolate, and since I am Irish (that country is not too far from Scotland) I like to savc a little money when it won't compromise the flavor.
Add the eggs one at at time (I use jumbos for cooking), and beat the devil out of the eggs, sugar and shortening.
Cocoa is lumpy so I sift it with the flour.
Just barely mix the dry ingredients with the egg mixture, and then add the
chocolate chips. Here I used milk chocolate; semi-sweet are good too.I use whole pecans, but if you like to work go ahead and chop them. I do chop the almonds.
Form the batch of dough into a log, and bake. Cool completely, slice and bake again. My dad made this cutting board out of a huge cotton wood log, and it has had the wear! 
I decorate mine with royal icing--egg whites, vanilla and enough powdered sugar to make an icing. Yes, I know all about salmonella, but this dries, and no one has ever been poisoned with my royal icing! These got a little crispier than I like, and after looking at this photo I am almost tempted to go buy a couple of new cookie sheet. "Almost." Double Chocolate Biscotti
5 C flour
1 1/2 C cocoa
2 T baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 C shortening
2 C sugar
6 eggs
1 T vanilla
2 C chocolate chips
3 C pecans, walnut, almonds or raisins if you like. Just suit yourself here.
1. Cream shortening, vanilla, and sugar, then add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
2. Sift the cocoa with the unsifted flour, baking powder and salt, and add to the creamed mixture, and mix.
3. Add the nuts.
4. Form into a log on a greased cookie sheet, and bake at 375 for about 20 to 25 minutes.
5. Cool completely, and slice in 3/4 inch slices.
6. Bake 10 minutes at 350, turn over and bake on the other side.
You don't have to ice them if you don't want to. These are great to dunk in coffee.
P.S. Happy birthday, Rita!
I cannot believe that the same woman who instructed her neice to ALWAYS use REAL BUTTER, used shortening. And photographed it. And bless your heart, I just have to use real butter, because I hear that voice ringing in my ear, as I bake.....
ReplyDeleteThese look divine! Biscotti is something people either love, or hate, and I'm with the lovers.
So. When are you going to write your cookbook?
Try this recipe both ways and let me know if you can taste the difference. My taster is not as sensitive as it used to be--probably burned out with jalapenos!
ReplyDeleteI've burned up my palate too. I'll never be a sommelier. I can taste two flavors: bland and scorched Earth.
ReplyDeleteI need to get more eggs, then I'll try them both ways. And I think I'll drizzle them with white chocolate, just to add a 4th dimension to the theme!
ReplyDelete(And I don't think you need to have intact tastebuds to be a sommelier....just an exceptionally good vocabulary. For example: This merlot is earthy and bodacious, with a hint of blackberry and pepper teasing you on toward the final overture of the blowsy rosewood casket it was aged in. 'Pretty much, it's a dry red wine, that you'll want to have a good steak to pour over it...')
Ahhh cooking...how I miss it....as of a week and a half ago, that season is gone for a while...Bert, you are a girl after my own heart. It would have been nice to teach in an FCS department with you!
ReplyDeleteYour bro says come to Montana and make us biscotti!!!
ReplyDeleteI am impressed with the pics. Makes me want to try it sometime! lol
Hugs from us!