Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti

He ain't ugly...

He's my tea-time snack...

a pre-warning just in case you guys have any pre-conceptions of biscotti after this post. THIS BISCOTTI IS ONE HELL OF AN UGLY VERSION! remember what they say, never judge a book by its cover. In this instant, this book has a cover that says medieval history: knights and dragons (no offence to people out there who are interested in this kinda stuff) but then inside, it offers a wonderful read.

I have never tried my hands at baking biscotti before though i've savoured some in the past. Inspired by several images that i came across on my frequent reads, i decided to stick to the plan of trial and error before the holidays ended. Hence, i got down and dirtyyyy...


Once the son of a gun came out of the oven, my ego was deflated. Despite its less than pleasant looks, but it still does taste good and scored full marks in the smell department. the smell of baked chocolate and fresh nuts wafting thru the halls. hehe. double chocolate and my favourite pistachio nuts.. doubly whammy combo! the crisp texture of the cookie satisfied my afternoon munchies to the max! so do try this recipe out, its worth it..though i reckon u'll have to do a much better job at slicing the cookies if you want to improve in the looks department.

Chocolate and Pistachio Biscotti
adapted from Martha Stewert's 'Cookies'

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup pistachios
1 cup chocolate chips

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.
2. Line two baking trays with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a large bowl and set aside.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 2 minutes. Add sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add 2 eggs, one at a time and beat until incorporated.
5. Add flour mixture gradually and mix until combined.
6. Add the pistachios and chocolate and mix with a wooden spoon.
7. Wet your hands (the dough is quite sticky) and turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface.
8. Place them onto the baking trays and flatten them slightly.
9. Bake the logs, rotating trays half way through for 25 minutes. Transfer the logs onto a cutting board and let cool for 20-30 minutes.
10. Reduce the oven temperature to 150 degrees celsius. Cut the logs crosswise to half an inch thick slices. Place on a wire rack cut side down and bake for 10 minutes.