Cioccolato Paradiso Italian Chocolate Paradise Biscotti Recipes

BISCOTTI CIOCCOLATO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the almonds in a shallow pan for about 12 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Adjust two racks to divide the oven into thirds and adjust the oven to 300 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or with aluminum foil, shiny side up, and set aside.
• Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso or coffee powder. Set aside.
• On a cutting surface, with a heavy knife, shred the chocolate fine. Place the shredded chocolate in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade. Add about a half-cup of the sifted dry ingredients and process for 20 to 30 seconds, until the chocolate is very fine.
• In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs, vanilla and almond extract, if using, just to mix. On low speed, add the processed chocolate mixture, the remaining sifted dry ingredients and the sugar. Beat to mix. It will be a stiff mixture.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir in the almonds.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Form it into a mound. Cut it in half. Flour each half, and with your hands, form them into sausage shapes about 12 inches long. Place each sausage shape diagonally on a lined cookie sheet. Straighten the shapes and brush off any excess flour.
• Bake two sheets at a time for 50 minutes, reversing the sheets top to bottom and front to back once during baking to insure even baking.
• Remove the sheets from the oven. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
• Then transfer the baked strips to a cutting board. With a serrated bread knife, carefully cut the strips on a sharp angle into cookies about a half-inch wide. (At this stage the cookies are fragile.)
• Carefully place the cookies, on the cut side, on the cookie sheets and bake again at 300 degrees for about 40 minutes, turning them upside down after 15 or 20 minutes, until the cookies are completely dry and crisp.
• Turn off the heat, open the oven door and let them cool in the oven. tore them in airtight containers.

CIOCCOLATO PARADISO (ITALIAN CHOCOLATE PARADISE BISCOTTI)

Steps:

• Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown (do not overcook). Let cool.
• In a mixing bowl, cream butter and 1/2 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in egg yolks, vanilla and orange zest.
• In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture, mixing just until crumbly.
• In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff soft peaks form and beat in remaining sugar, beating until stiff but not dry.
• Fold meringue into the crumbly dough, mixing until it clings together.
• Cut nuts into halves or thirds and fold in along with chocolate.
• Divide dough in half. Form into two logs on a greased and floured baking sheet making them about 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inches wide and 16 inches long, sppacing them at least 2 inches apart.
• Bake in the middle of a preheated 325 degree F oven for 25 minutes or until set and golden brown.
• Transfer from the baking sheet to a rack. Let cool 5 minutes. Place on a cutting board. With a serrated knife, slice diagonally at a 45 degree angle about 1/2 inch thick.
• Place the slices upright on a baking sheet and return to the oven at 300 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes to dry slightly. Let cool on a rack. Store in a tightly covered container. Makes about 4 dozen biscotti.

AUTHENTIC CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Adjust rack to center position and heat the oven to 350 degree. Line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper.
• Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and white chocolate chips in a large bowl and stir to combine.
• In a small bowl combine the eggs, butter and vanilla and whisk to fully combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine until a rough dough forms. Don't be concerned if the dough is crumbly- this is typical of biscotti dough. It will come together in the next step.
• Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead a couple of times until the dough comes together, adding extra flour sparingly and only if necessary. Start to form the dough into a big, fat cigar and cut it in half. Form each half into a cigar about 1 inch thick, 2 inches wide and about 12 inches long. Place them onto the cookie sheet and lightly press with fingers to slightly flat cigars.
• Bake for 25 minutes reversing the pan halfway through. The bars will be firm to the touch and just slightly browned. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 300 degrees. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.
• Remove cookies to a cutting board using two spatulas. Using a serrated knife, slice the bars on an angle about 1/2 inch thick to form the biscotti. Lay them back on the cookie sheet with either cut side down and place back in oven for 12 minutes. Turn each cookie to expose the other cut side and place in oven for another 12 minutes. Let cool on a rack to room temperature. Place cookies in an airtight container.