Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Diamond of California Chopped Almonds
- 2 cups + 1 tablespoon All purpose flour
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
The Steps
- Preheat oven to 300F degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Spread chopped almonds on one sheet (keep the other one set aside) and toast for 12-15 minutes, stirring twice during that time. Remove toasted almonds from the oven and turn the oven up to 350F. Rinse/wipe off the one baking sheet so you can use it again for the biscotti.
2. Set 1 cup of chopped toasted almonds aside. This 1 cup will go into the cookie dough, and the rest will be what you sprinkle on top of the chocolate.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk flour, brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt together. Using a pastry cutter or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly. Gently toss in the 1 cup of toasted chopped almonds. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla together. Pour into the flour/butter mixture and gently mix with a large wooden spoon or rubber spatula until everything is just barely moistened.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, and with floured hands, knead lightly until the dough is soft and slightly sticky, about 8-10 times. If it’s uncontrollably sticky, knead 1 more Tablespoon of flour into the dough. With floured hands, divide the dough halves and place each half onto a baking sheet. Shape each half into an 8-9 inch long roll, patting down until each is about 1/2 inch thick. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top and sides of each biscotti slab with egg wash.
5. Bake in batches (or together) for 25-26 minutes, or until the top and sides of the biscotti slabs are lightly browned. Remove from the oven, but do not turn off the heat. Allow to cool for 10 minutes. Once the slabs are cool enough to handle, cut each into 1 inch thick slices. Set slices cut sides upright, ¼ inch apart, on the baking sheets. Return to the oven to continue baking for 9 minutes. Turn biscotti over and bake other side for 9 minutes. The cookies will be slightly soft in the centers with harder edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before dipping in chocolate. As the biscotti cools, it becomes crunchy.
6. Melt the chocolate in a medium bowl in the microwave (or use a double boiler). The key to melting chocolate in the microwave is to do it in small bursts and stir frequently. Chocolate seizes so fast, so easily. Melt in 15 second increments, stirring vigorously with a spoon after each increment, until completely melted and smooth. Dip one side of each biscotti cookie in the melted chocolate and immediately sprinkle with the remaining toasted chopped almonds (If you wish, you can pulse them in a food processor to make the pieces even smaller). I do this over the sink to avoid a mess!
7. Store leftover biscotti in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Biscotti may be frozen up to 3 months, but I suggest freezing without the chocolate coating.