Traditional Italian biscotti with toasted almonds, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries. Crunchy-munchy cookies!
Christmas Yumminess Countdown! I’m going to be posting a series of holiday related recipes leading up to Christmas this year! So get ready for the YUMMINESS!!! 20 DAYS until Christmas!
So we are kicking off the countdown with BISCOTTI!
As a kid, I thought biscotti was the worst cookie in the world! Why were grown-ups sitting around drinking coffee and trying to break their teeth? Did they really enjoy going to the dentist? Maybe that’s why I didn’t like biscotti… I was terrified of the dentist as a child….one time, I actually screamed so loud when they were cleaning my teeth that I scared the other kids in the waiting room and we were asked to leave! But hellooo….I liked my teeth where and how they were…I didn’t need a dentist rearranging them!
Anyways….. I discovered biscotti is actually quite tasty if it’s not too thick! So when I make it at home, I cut 1/2 inch pieces to keep it easy to eat! Another great thing about biscotti is that it isn’t as labor intensive as many people think! It takes some time in the oven but not much active time. Biscotti is great to serve after a dinner with coffee, and this recipe keeps for up to a month!
This biscotti is a chocolate dough and then I added in white chocolate chips. Give a whoop whoop for more chocolate!! Except Nestle Toll House is sneaky….and these white chocolate chips aren’t actually chocolate. They are “Premier White Morsels”, whatever that is supposed to mean. Why couldn’t they use real white chocolate? You will also need toasted almonds, which you make by baking whole raw almonds at 325ºF for 10 minutes.
Now you’re going to mix all of your dry ingredients plus the chocolate chips, cherries, and almonds together (picture 1). In another bowl, mix eggs and vanilla with a whisk. Using an electric mixer, gradually beat the eggs into the flour (picture 2). Dump the dough onto a clean and floured counter. It will be slightly crumbly but form it into a ball (picture 3). Split the dough in half and form each half into a log shape about 2 inches in diameter (picture 4). Place the logs on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 325ºF for 30-35 minutes, until they aren’t gooey and are cracked on top (picture 5). Let cool for 15 minutes. Using a sharp knife, cut 1/2 inch slices. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet and bake for another 25 minutes at 300ºF. Remove from the oven and cool completely! 
This would be a really good recipe to make ahead for a Christmas dinner party later this month! You can make it well in advance and no one will know!
Happy biscotti eatin’ and stay tuned for more Christmas YUMMINESS Countdown recipes!
…and voilà!
- ¾ cup almonds
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup + 2 Tablespoons cocoa
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup white chocolate chips (or semisweet)
- 2 Tablespoons dried cherries
- 2½ eggs**
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract***
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
- Preheat oven to 325ºF.
- Place almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until light brown.
- Lightly grease a baking sheet.
- Mix almonds, flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, sugar, white chocolate chips, and dried cherries.
- In another bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, and almond extract with a whisk.
- Using an electric mixer, gradually beat the eggs into the dry ingredients until combined.
- Dump the dough onto a clean and floured counter. It will be very sticky but dust it with just enough flour to be able to handle itl.
- Split the dough in half and form each half into a log shape about 2 inches in diameter and 8 to 10 inches long. They will expand a lot in the oven so your 2 inches wide will become 3 inches wide.
- Place the logs the lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 325ºF for 30-35 minutes, until they are not gooey and are cracked on top.
- Let cool for 15 minutes.
- Lower oven temperature to 300ºF.
- Using a sharp knife, cut the log into ½ inch slices.
- Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet.
- Bake for another 25 minutes at 300ºF.
- Remove from the oven and cool completely.
- Voilà!
***If you don't have almond extract, you can use all vanilla extract. The almond extract adds a little almond flavor, but it isn't detrimental to the recipe if you don't use it!
Store for up to a month!
Adapted from Teens Cook Dessert
These look really good! Good for Christmas type weather.
Most definitely! And they are tremendous with a warm up of coffee!