Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

Hi! 

I know it's been a very LONG while since I've updated. A lot has happened since February 2011. 

Over the past 1 & 3/4 years, I found out I was pregnant, had a wonderful and fulfilling pregnancy, gave birth to a baby girl,  graduated from college, and now this baby girl has turned into a toddler and a very busy toddler at that! 

Being a mother has left me with no spare time whatsoever. Any mother can relate! I am still reading the 5th book in the Game of Thrones series for about a year already and working 3 jobs as well to gain nutritional/dietetic experiences for my upcoming Dietetic Internship application. So yes, I've been extremely busy! Anyway! I found the time today to make something I've been wanting to make for a very long time. 

Biscotti! I love biscotti! It's a simple indulgence with my morning coffee and I knew it was easy to make, just never had the time to make it. It seems like a complicated pastry to make but it's really not!

I found this recipe from Epicurious.com called Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti. Since pastries often disappear in my house, I always make double batches. This recipe below is for a single batch.

Yield: ~20 biscotti

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 Tbs) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place 2 oven racks, evenly spaced from the top and bottom of the oven. Butter and flour a large baking sheet or place parchment paper over baking sheet.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. 
In another bowl with an electric mixer or a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time until each is incorporated, and beat until combined. Stir in four mixture to form a stiff dough. Use your hands, which is easier, to mix the dough to form a ball. Add walnuts and chocolate chips, and knead the dough until fully incorporated.
Separate the dough into 2 equal halves.

On the prepared baking sheet with floured hands, form each half of dough into a slightly flattened "log", each about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. This doesn't have to be perfect. 
Bake these "logs" for 35 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Half-way through baking, rotate the pans from top to bottom and 180 degrees. Depending on your oven, this ensures an even baking. 
When 35 minutes are up, cool the biscotti on baking sheets for 5 minutes. If you used parchment paper, cut the biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange biscotti, cut side down, on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool the biscotti on a rack.

These will keep for about a week in an airtight container, or freeze in an airtight container and these will keep for about a month.

Enjoy!

If you have a biscotti recipe, or any recipe for that matter, please e-mail me or send a message! I would love to try it!

-Joanna

By the way, follow me on Pinterest! My user name is BlackInkPhoto.