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Chocolate Covered Almond-Orange Biscotti
Servings: 48 servings
Ingredients
- 12 ounces (about 2¼ cups) whole, unblanched almonds
- Softened butter, for the baking pan, unless using parchment paper
- 1¾ cups sugar
- ¼ cup minced orange zest (colored part of peel, removed with a zester and minced)
- 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup cake flour, not self-rising
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Spread the almonds in a single layer in a metal pan and toast, stirring once or twice, for 15 minutes. The almonds will become slightly browner and more flavorful but should not be completely toasted. Remove from the oven and cool.
- Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper.
- In a food processor, grind together half the almonds, the sugar and orange zest. Coarsely chop the remaining almonds. In a large bowl, stir together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, sugar mixture, chopped almonds, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs thoroughly. Whisk in the canola oil, vanilla and almond extracts. Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. The dough will be sticky. Divide the dough in half. Turn half out onto a well-floured work surface and, with floured hands, shape into a 14-by-3-inch log. With a long spatula carefully transfer the log to a prepared baking sheet. Reshape the log with your hands if necessary. Repeat with the remaining dough, transferring it to the second baking sheet.
- Bake the logs, switching the position of the sheets on the racks from top to bottom and from front to back at the halfway point, until they are risen and golden brown and a tester, inserted into the center, comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- One at a time, transfer the logs to a cutting board. With a serrated knife, carefully saw the logs into ½-inch-thick cookies. Return the cookies to the sheets, laying them on their sides. Bake the biscotti, turning them once or twice, and switching the position of the baking sheets on the racks from top to bottom and from front to back, until the biscotti and crisp and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes (this will go faster with dark or blackened sheets than with shiny ones). Transfer to a rack and cool completely.
- Place the chocolate in a bowl on top of a double-boiler over medium-low heat. Melt completely, stirring every so often. Take each biscotti, holding the rounded top half, and dip the straight bottom half into the chocolate. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and let harden completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Makes about 48.
