Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

I have a rule: Christmas can't go by without a batch (or several dozen batches) of biscotti. My family is Italian and I learned how to make biscotti from my mother. These Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are crisp and tender with big chocolate flavor. They are made with cocoa powder and a bit of butter, roasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate chips. Then they are dipped in dark chocolate and topped with chopped roasted hazelnuts. They are so delicious and taste like a crisp crunchy brownie!

Biscotti have 2 personalities: sometimes they are sophisticated, fancy and sold individually wrapped in expensive coffee shops and bakeries, while other times they are the last cookie standing. Maybe that's because many versions can be bland with a hard-as-a-rock texture. Well, my Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti are worthy of praise and nothing close to boring! Get ready to impress your friends when you bring these to the next cookie swap 😉 If you like making biscotti, try my Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Biscotti too.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

• Tender and crisp texture - these crisp and crunchy biscotti have a tender bite and are NOT hard. Biscotti should not break your teeth if made properly, and biscotti are delicious just like decadent gooey chocolate chip cookies can be (well, they come close!). Yes, they're lower in sugar and lower in fat, but they shall not be lower in flavor. 
• Double chocolate biscotti - I use Dutch cocoa powder for a nice dark color and smooth chocolate taste in the cookie dough plus dark chocolate chips. Then they're dipped in more chocolate!
• Roasted hazelnuts - roasting the hazelnuts first adds SO much flavor to these biscotti. I highly recommend that you do not skip this step! The intensity of the roast on these hazelnuts is what makes this recipe magic. And when you bite in, the combination of deep roasted hazelnut, dark chocolate and intensely cocoa-y yet just-sweet-enough cookie will make your eyebrows raise.

INGREDIENTS

• Butter - butter adds flavor and is also the key to making these biscotti so tender. I like to use butter when baking with cocoa to enhance the cocoa taste.
• Granulated sugar - this recipe uses a combination of simple white granulated sugar and brown sugar. Brown sugar adds a hint of rich molasses flavor.
• Brown sugar - I highly recommend dark brown sugar for this recipe as it has twice as much molasses as light brown sugar and will make a big difference to the flavor.
• Eggs - you'll need two whole eggs for this recipe. It's the perfect amount of moisture to bind the dough together.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to making delicious chocolate cookies. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.

• All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour is great for cookies.
• Cocoa powder - I recommend getting your hands on some good quality cocoa powder! It's the main flavor and you want it to shine so use the best you can find. I love to use this Dutch Process cocoa powder for this recipe, but natural cocoa also adds a nice fruity flavor - it just means your cookies will be a bit lighter in color. Make sure you use unsweetened cocoa powder and not cocoa mix.
• Dark chocolate - after cooling, each cookie is dipped and drizzled with pure dark chocolate. It's the best part!
• Hazelnuts - for the best flavor, roast the hazelnuts before you add them to the cookie dough and keep them whole so you get that nice cross-section when you slice them.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• STEP 2). Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift in cocoa powder and whisk to blend evenly.
• STEP 3). Blend wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs to blend evenly. Gradually stream in sugar while whisking constantly until smooth and lightened by a shade. Whisk in vanilla extract and melted butter.
• STEP 4). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the large bowl and pour in the egg mixture. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until most of the flour is absorbed.
• STEP 5). Add the goodies. Add chocolate chips and roasted hazelnuts and fold them into the dough until evenly incorporated. Use your hands if needed to get them mixed in.
• STEP 6). Shape the dough and BAKE. Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 10-inch log. Flatten it down to about 2 inches wide and place onto prepared baking tray. Brush lightly with cream and sprinkle generously with sugar.
• STEP 7). Bake. Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed, shiny and slightly cracked at the surface. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let biscotti log cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• STEP 8). Slice and bake again. Transfer the log to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice it diagonally on a sharp angle into ½ to ¾-inch-thick slices with a gentle sawing motion. Place cookies back onto the baking sheet so that they are sitting right-side-up and bake for 10-15 minutes until dry and crisp. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Roast the hazelnuts for maximum flavor. The fastest way to do this is to place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat and shake the pan frequently until they are golden and fragrant.
• Use a sharp serrated knife to slice the biscotti log in a gentle sawing motion. The sharp teeth help to saw through the hard nuts so you get nice clean cross-sections.
• Let the biscotti logs cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing. If they are still warm, then the knife will squish the dough and it will be difficult to cut through the nuts as they will be soft while warm.
• Reduce the oven temperature for the second bake. It is important to just dry them out at this stage and you don't want to burn them.

RECIPE FAQ

This recipe is based on the Mocha Pistachio Biscotti with Dried Apricots in "Scientifically Sweet: Chocolate" cookbook.

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Double Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

Christina Marsigliese

Crisp and crunchy rich cocoa biscotti with roasted hazelnuts and dark chocolate chips all dipped in more dark chocolate. These are great for any day of the week with a cup of coffee, and especially perfect for the holidays!

5 from 9 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 24 cookies

Ingredients

  

• 1 ⅔ cups 235g all-purpose flour
• ½ cup 42g Dutch process cocoa powder (I prefer this one)
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup 125g dark chocolate chips
• ¾ cup 95g whole roasted hazelnuts
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ½ cup 110g packed dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup 50g granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• ⅓ cup 75g unsalted butter, melted
• 5 oz 142g dark chocolate coarsely chopped for dipping

Instructions

 

• Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Sift in cocoa powder and whisk to blend evenly.
• In a medium bowl, whisk eggs to blend evenly. Gradually stream in sugar while whisking constantly until smooth and lightened by a shade. Whisk in vanilla extract and melted butter.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the large bowl and pour in the egg mixture. Stir gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until most of the flour is absorbed. Fold in chocolate chips and hazelnuts. The dough will be stiff and a bit sticky but not wet. Use your hands to incorporate the nuts and bring the dough together if necessary.
• Divide dough in half and roll each half into a 10-inch log. Flatten it down to about 2 inches wide and place onto prepared baking tray. Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed, shiny and slightly cracked at the surface.
• Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and let biscotti log cool on the pan for at least 30 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
• Transfer the log to a cutting board and use a serrated knife to slice them diagonally on a sharp angle at about ¾-inch increments with a gentle sawing motion. Place cookies back onto the baking sheet so that they are sitting right-side-up and bake for 10-15 minutes until dry and crisp. Let cookies cool completely.
• Melt dark chocolate gently in the microwave (20 second bursts and frequent stirring) or over a double boiler until smooth and glossy and then dip each cookie into melted chocolate. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet to set before storing.