Tuesday 3 July 2012

Roasted Almond and Chocolate Chip Biscotti : 'TWD : Baking with Julia'

With their Italian heritage and the unique twice-baked process, biscotti have been on my mind ever since I've started writing this blog. They almost seemed like a grown-up, refined version of the basic, humble cookie that I usually bake. And what better than a Julia Child recipe for my first biscotti post!!

Hazelnut Biscotti was the recipe chosen for this fortnight's TWD:Baking with Julia post. With hazelnuts not that easily available in India, I decided to go with the classic combination of roasted almonds and chocolate to flavour these biscotti.


For those wondering why biscotti are called 'twice-baked' cookies, it is because at first the dough is baked in a log shape, then sliced and baked again to achieve their characteristic crunchy texture.

What I did not know and the recipe taught me is that these cookies have no butter or fat in them except that which is present in the eggs. It is this lack of fat that makes these biscotti in Dorie Greenspan's words "unexceptionally dry and crackly"!!


For all the talk about the technique behind these biscotti, I found them really simple to make. The recipe for the dough followed the simple technique of mixing the dry ingredients with the wet - a technique you will come across with a number of recipes that I post on this blog.


I've come to the conclusion that recipes from this Julia Child book rarely disappoint and this one is no exception. Not too sweet in taste, these biscotti engage you with their crunchy and crackly texture. The roasted almonds along with the chocolate chips were an excellent addition to these moreish biscotti. Roasting the almonds intensified their nuttiness and elevated these cookies from the ordinary.

With their crunchy texture, these biscotti are made to be dipped, making them perfect with a cup of tea or coffee. Make a batch of these highly addictive biscotti and I reckon that neither will you just stop at one nor will they last long at your home!!


As for me, I am writing this post on a Sunday evening where the dark clouds that have been gathering all afternoon are finally giving way to some much-anticipated rain. I'm comfortably ensconsed at home, by the window, with a beautiful book, a steaming cup of coffee and a jar of these scrumptious biscotti to keep me company. Afterall, someone did say, "Life's pleasures often lie in the simplest things!!".

Due to copyright considerations, only the person hosting the recipe for the group 'TWD:Baking with Julia' can post the recipe on their blog. The recipe for these Biscotti will be available on the blogs of Jodi and Katrina. Alternately, you can write to me at bakerindisguise@gmail.com and I will mail you the recipe.

60 comments:

  1. Your pictures are always stunning. You were very smart adding chocolate. After tasting mine, that's what I decided they probably lacked.

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    1. Thanks Sara!! :) I've come to the conclusion that you can never go wrong by adding that little bit of chocolate to everything!! :)

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  2. Roasted almond and chocolate is such a wonderful combination! I usually don't bake biscotti too for the very same reason but these sound delish and I think I've finally got the nudge I need to go and bake these! :)

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    1. Honestly Anuradha I did wonder if I'd find these biscotti a bit too dry or crunchy for my liking, but I was pleasantly surprised with this recipe. The 'Baking with Julia' members has come up with some great combinations..pistachios and mint, espresso-chocolate.. so the flavoour combinations are endless!! Give it a shot!! :)

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  3. I did almond and cocoa for mine, such a great combination. Yours look absolutely delicious!

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    1. Thanks Susan!! Its one of those classic combinations that one can never go wrong with!! :)

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  4. Almond and chocolate! Wow, that's a great combination!
    Julia's biscotti is amazingly delicious.
    I've tripled the dough at the very beginning to make 3 version and loved them all (too much)!

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    1. Tripled the dough!!! Wow!! but i can understand... these biscotti were REALLY that good!!!

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  5. They look great and what an inviting description of you waiting for the rain.

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    1. Thanks Jane!! After the long, hot summer..you have no idea how much I've been waiting for the rains!! :)

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  6. You took great pictures and I like that they´re not too large. The addition of choco chips is perfect! And on a rainy day much more!

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    1. Thank you Paula!! Addition of choc chips to anything is perfect!!

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  7. The almond and chocolate combination sounds good! My brother's main complaint about the biscotti is that I did not put any chocolate in it! Hahaha!

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    1. Oh absolutely...:)) that's the beauty of chocolate.. no one ever complains about it!!

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  8. Very pretty pictures of your lovely looking Roasted Almond and Chocolate Chip Biscotti - I am really impressed with your beautiful photography and your wonderfully written post!

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    1. Thank you so much Andrea for the kind words!!! Much appreciated!! :)

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  9. Mmm ,roasted almonds and chocolate sunds like a great flavour combination instead of hazelnuts.

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    1. Honestly I just went with what I had access to (we don't get hazelnuts that easily in India).. and as it turned out.. it was an awesome combination!!

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  10. Love the photos! I've been seeing a lot of almond varieties of these, but I did pistachios instead of the hazelnuts. A lot of things work in this recipe!

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    1. Thank you!! :) Pistachios are already on my mind on being added to these biscotti .. the next time I make them!!

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  11. This recipe was super easy, wasn't it? Now you've put me in the mood for almond and chocolate chip biscotti, so I guess I'll have to make some tonight. Sigh. So glad you had the biscotti to enjoy during your rainy day! Things like that make even rainy days better!

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    1. I think you should give this recipe another shot and with this combination, i think, it might just manage to convert you!! :))) I enjoyed them so much.. lost count of how many I had that day!!

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  12. Skinning and roasting almonds is more fun than hazelnuts ;-) I agree, they don't last long!

    Ulrike @Küchenlatein

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    1. I made my batch over the weekend... and its almost over!!! This recipe is definitely a keeper!!

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  13. Love your photos! Makes me want to go have another right now. ;)

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    1. Haha... and the best part of this recipe.. there's not much planning involved.. you can give it a go anytime you want!! :)

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  14. Absolutely amazing pictures!! Beautiful!!!

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  15. Almond and chocolate sound great.. I agree that they are perfect with coffee..

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    1. Oh absolutely ferda.. these biscotti are made to be dipped..and the chocolate went well with the coffee!!

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  16. I made my biscotti with macadamia nuts and chocolate chips. :) Your biscotti looks yummy!

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    1. Macadamia Nuts.. thats interesting.. heading over to read about it!!

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  17. Great pictures! I agree, they are great with coffee.

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  18. This was my first biscotti post, too...and a great one at that. Love that you added chocolate, too...mmmmmmmm.

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    1. What a brilliant recipe it turned out considering I was a bit skeptical when I started out with it!!

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  19. Love being curled up with tea, cookies, and a good book, especially if it's raining outside!

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  20. Lovely photos and you can't go wrong with almonds and chocolate! It's raining here in Vancouver, too - we've been waiting and waiting for summer to start.

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    1. It's the other way round for us, here in india.We are almost done with an excruciatingly hot summer and are now waiting for the monsoons to come!!

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  21. Your biscotti turned out great, I am sure they were delicious!

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    1. Oh they were Gracie.. just two left in the jar as of today!!

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  22. I love your photos. Your biscotti look great.

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  23. Great photos! The biscotti look delicious.

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    1. Thank you!! :) I dropped by yours earlier but realised that you've decided to give this fortnight a miss!! Do try these biscotti when you get the time... super easy and delicious!!

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  24. I really enjoyed the lighting and colors in your pictures this week. Everything seems so peaceful - exactly as it should be when enjoying a cookie and a warm beverage.

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    1. Thank you Cher! :) Everyone seems to have liked the photographs this time round!

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  25. I love the picture you created through your words. I was sitting there with you. Great job!

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  26. How perfect for a rainy day. I think you are right about why these are super-crunchy. I've always used butter or oil in other biscotti I've made. I liked them though. Yours look great.

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    1. Thanks betsy!! I wouldnt have figured it out if I hadnt read the intro to this recipe and the one for cantuccini that explains the technique and texture of biscotti!

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  27. Oh what you described makes the perfect afternoon for me, a cup of tea or coffee, a good book and some biscotti..oh the simple joys indeed
    I have not made biscotti in a while and that needs to change ASAP

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    1. Haha.. I know sawsan.. that last paragraph seems to have struck a chord with quite a few people!! :)

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  28. Sounds very dreamy to wait for the rain with a cup of coffee and a biscotto! Almonds and chocolate - yum!

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    1. Yup.. with a good book..the evening just passed by!! :)

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  29. Almonds and Chocolate! We chose the same combination, only you realized the necessity of chocolate while mixing... I realized after baking! This recipe has endless options!

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    1. Absolutely.. have come across so many interesting combinations.. mint-pistachios, espresso-chocolate, cherry-chocolate... have bookmarked them when I come back to this recipe later!

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