I enjoy my evening tea and when the clock strikes 5, my senses start craving for a hot cup of tea. Yesterday a virtual friend Sarika Shah pinged me and mentioned that she would be in the vicinity. Now for the uninitiated, I have made many friends in the virtual land of Facebook. Being a member of various foodie communities, I have got the opportunity to befriend many like minded foodie friends. Have been lucky to meet some of them recently and hoping to meet many more in the near future
Now a foodie friend deserves something special to welcome her. Couldn’t go elaborate, so decided to attempt a recipe I had saved from Epicurious a while back. Almond and chocolate chunk biscotti. So set to work in the morning, a little nervous, as this was my first attempt. The problem is that my maid has gone AWOL and I have a lot of running around to do. Did all the prep and by the time I got to baking, it was time to pick up my son. Now the biscotti requires 2 bakes. I did the first and unfortunately resorted to some shortcuts as had to run. When I came back and started slicing the logs, it started to disintegrate as it had not cooked enough on the inside. Oh god, nearly was in tears. But no option so I put it in for the second bake. This time I let it cool properly before doing anything further.
Well the end result is a rustic looking biscotti but super yum. Polished off all the crumbs with an early vanilla and cinnamon tea that I had recently bought from Coorg, sweetened with some leftover caramel glass. Now just waiting for her to come. Hope she likes it.
Have pasted the recipe from Epicurious for you
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups (350 g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups (155 g) almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
7 ounces (200 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2-inch (1.5-cm) chunks
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and the baking powder.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until the mixture thickens and holds its shape, about 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture, then mix in the almonds and chocolate.
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half. Using dampened hands, shape each half into a log 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter. Set the logs lengthwise on the prepared baking sheet, evenly spacing them apart. Dampen your hands and smooth the surface of the logs.
Bake, rotating the baking sheet midway through baking, until the logs are lightly browned, about 20 minutes. (They will flatten out during baking.) Remove the baking sheet from the oven and decrease the oven temperature to 300°F (150°C). Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes.
Transfer the logs to a cutting board. With a serrated bread knife, cut each log diagonally into slices 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick. Place the cookies, cut sides up, in a single layer on the baking sheet. (If necessary, use an additional baking sheet.) Bake until the biscotti are firm, about 20 minutes, flipping them midway through baking. Let cool completely; they’ll continue to firm up as they cool.
The biscotti will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
You can substitute 1 1/2 cups (240 g) chocolate chips for the chopped chocolate, if you like, although I prefer the irregularity of chocolate chunks in these cookies.
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