Guys, don't judge me, but I went for years thinking that Biscotti was for old ladies only. Maybe even just the Italian ones. I mean who is eating this cardboard? People whose tastebuds have all died off, obviously. But ohhhh was I wrong. Fresh, home baked biscotti is a delight to the soul. A crispity, crunchy, snappy cookie recipe with almond flavor and chocolate chips. PERFECT for dunking in hot chocolate, milk, or coffee. My life may never be the same!
Make the dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer, add 6 tablespoons slightly softened butter. Beat until smooth, scraping down the sides. Make sure there are no chunks.
Add 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar. Beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides and bottom at least once. The mixture should be light and fluffy.
Add 2 eggs and 1 large egg yolk. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Beat well, scraping the sides and bottom. Keep going until the mixture is completely combined.
Use the spoon and level method to add 2 and 1/4 cups flour; don't stir yet. Use a spoon to add flour to each cup, then level it off. (You don't want it packed in.)
Add 1 and 1/4 teaspoon baking powder and 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Use your teaspoon to mix the baking powder and salt into the flour a bit.
Use the beaters to mix the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, until it is almost combined but not quite. Scrape the bottom of the bowl.
Add 1 and 1/4 cups of chocolate chips and mix just until blended, then stop right away. You don't want to over mix, or the biscotti will turn out tough. All the flour should be incorporated.
Transfer the dough to a pan. Split your dough in half with your spatula, and scrape onto the lined baking sheet you have already prepared. The dough is really sticky! Scrape the other half of the dough into another mound on the other side of the pan.
Shape into loaves. Get your finger tips wet, or rub them with a little oil. Use your hands to shape each mound of dough into a long skinny loaf, about 2 inches across and 12 inches long. Make sure there is at least 3-4 inches in between the two loaves, as they will spread a lot while baking. The loaves should be flat on top, not round. See photos!
Bake the loaves at 350 for 28-30 minutes. The edges will be quite golden brown and cracks will be running down the loaves. Leave it in a couple minutes if it doesn't look golden.
Lower the oven temperature to 325.
Let the loaves cool on the pan for 10 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board. I am super lazy, so I usually skip this and cut my loaves right on the baking sheet. But if you want more elbow room, use a sturdy spatula and your other hand to transfer the loaves to a large cutting board.
Cut the loaves into biscotti. Use a bread knife or sharp serrated knife to slice the loaves on a slight diagonal into slices about 1/2 inch thick, or slightly larger. A full 3/4 inch was a little TOO thick for me. I prefer thin biscotti that is easier to snap through. You do you bro.
Lay out each cut biscotti on its side, with at least 1 inch of space around each biscotti. I don't like to use parchment paper or a silpat for the second bake; the biscotti should be touching the metal.So remove whatever lining you used, and fill up the first pan with cut biscotti. Then add biscotti to the second (unlined) pan, so they all have plenty of room to crisp up in the oven.
Bake the cut biscotti. Did you remember to lower the temperature to 325? I gotchu.Bake the two pans of biscotti at the same time, one pan on a top rack, and the other pan on the bottom rack. Bake for 9 minutes. The biscotti should be getting crisp on top. (If you cut your biscotti on the thick side, you might need 10-11 minutes.)Remove the pans from the oven and shut the oven door.
Flip each biscotti. Use tongs, or burn your fingers a little, as you prefer.
Bake the flipped biscotti. Switch the pans so that the one that was on the top rack last time is on the bottom rack this time. Bake for another 7-9 minutes, until the biscotti are as browned as you like them. The centers of each biscotti should have a VERY slight give when you push in on them, but should overall be pretty firm and golden.
Cool. Let the biscotti cool completely. Aw heck, who am I kidding. Shove one down your gullet RIGHT AWAY.
Dip. If you would like to dip your biscotti in chocolate, melt 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 teaspoon oil or shortening in a shallow bowl in the microwave. Heat in 30 second increments until mostly melted, then stir in the lumps until it is smooth. Dip the cooled biscotti into the chocolate. Let cool on sheets of parchment or wax paper (I like to stick mine in the fridge or freezer to speed up the chilling process.)
Serve the biscotti with milk, coffee, or hot chocolate. Biscotti was made for dipping!
Storage: Keep covered on the counter or pop into a ziplock or airtight container and freeze. These make great gifts for teachers, neighbors, and friends!
Notes
Remember to cut your biscotti thin, so that you can bite into it easily!