Foodie Friday – Dorie’s Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

A baker I am not.  Though I do consider myself a self-proclaimed expert on biscotti.  Since it is the only thing I can successfully bake, I bake it a lot.  I’ve had good doughs, bad doughs, too crunchy, too soft, flavorful and not flavorful.  So, when I say that a biscotti is the best that I have ever eaten and baked, you can take my word for it.

Back when Dorie Greenspan’s:

Baking: From My Home to Yours

came out and everyone started blogging about it.  I knew that I had to have it.  Even though I don’t bake.  Didn’t matter.  I’m big on wanting things just because I want them.  And then I finally got it for Christmas.  Let me just say that’s a big, beautiful book, kind of wasted on me, but whatever.  So, the other day, when I was getting ready to make a new batch of biscotti, I decided to pull out the not-used-enough book.

Thank goodness I did.  This was wonderful, amazing, fantastic.   It was a little more work than my usual biscotti recipes (uses a mixer), but well worth it.  The dough was fantastic, sort of had the consistency of fudge, it patted into logs beautifully.  The logs puffed up, and cracked like a good banana bread, and the consistency of the biscotti is perfect..light with just the right amount of crunch.  Seriously I can’t say enough good things about it! 

Chocolate Biscotti (with Cherries)

2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons instant espresso powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 c. chopped almonds, blanched or unblanched

4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or 3/4 c. store-bought mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup chopped dried cherries (optional)

Sugar for dusting

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350º F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.Sift together the flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until pale, about 2 minutes; the mixture may be crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and vanilla and beat for another 2 minutes; don’t worry if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until a dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate and cherries (if using), then turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead in any dry ingredients that might have escaped mixing.

Divide the dough in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into 12 inch long logs. Flatten both logs with the palm of your hand so that they are 1/2 to 1 inch high, about 2 inches across and sort of rectangular, then carefully lift the logs onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle each log with a little sugar.

Bake the logs for about 25 minutes, or until they are just slightly firm. The logs will spread and crack – and that’s just fine. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, put it on a cooling rack and cool the logs for about 20 minutes. (Leave the oven on.)

Working with one log at a time, using a long serrated knife, cut each log into slices between 1/2 and 3/4 inch thick. Stand the slices up on the baking sheet – you’ll have an army of biscotti – and bake the cookies again, this time for just 10 minutes.

This will be my entry for this week’s Foodie Friday!