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Biscotti cookies are a satisfying snack. Cultures worldwide have their version of biscotti — but I’m hooked on the Italian twice-baked cookie. Biscotti has such staying power that I plan on keeping it on hand for a simple morning snack or impromptu coffee visits.
Although biscotti is rumored to keep for weeks, in my house, we have yet to make it beyond three days.
I’ve been trying out various biscotti recipes. I used to make all kinds of these Italian cookies a decade ago — and then I stopped. I’ve been making up for lost time. You’ll love this Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti by Susan G. Purdy from her phenomenal cookbook, “The Family Baker”.
Table of Contents:
- The Family Baker Cookbook by Susan G. Purdy
- Chocolate and Nut Biscotti (with a focus on the chocolate)
- Putting the Nut in Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
- Baking Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
- Recipe for Triple Chocolate Biscotti with Nuts
- Another Winning Biscotti Recipe
- Cookbooks by Susan G. Purdy
- Related Recipes
The Family Baker Cookbook by Susan G. Purdy
My cookbook collection might boast a lot of titles, but some names stick out more than others. Susan G. Purdy is a baking God. I’ve long wanted to get my hot little hands on this cookbook. I’d peeked inside before and knew I’d use it.
Susan G. Purdy bakes the kind of recipes I want to make and eat. If you’ve browsed around Little Indiana Bakes and seen plenty of recipes you’d like to try, this book is likely a good fit for you, too.
Every recipe in “The Family Baker” includes a lengthy paragraph at the top to provide insight or a helpful tip. Some recipes include call-out boxes with relevant information (such as how to toast hazelnuts for the triple chocolate nut biscotti recipe I’m sharing below).
Why Would You Want to Own “The Family Baker” Cookbook?
I consider this baking cookbook a “have-to-have.” I don’t say that lightly. Yes, I know I have plenty of cookbooks, but I keep turning to this book when I want to bake something new but familiar (if that makes sense).
Still on the fence? Okay, then how about four good reasons why this could be the baking cookbook for you:
- I’ve made the biscotti recipe below twice and two other recipes — all in the past week.
- It’s a 8.25 x 1 x 10.5-inch book with 248 pages.
- The recipe index is usable and well-organized and spans seven pages.
- This baking cookbook has a great layout. “The Family Baker” is easy to read, the pages stay open, and it’s on the larger side so even though it contains a lot of information for each recipe, you don’t feel like the pages are cluttered.
Although a few tiny chapters, such as About Bake Sales or Easy Decorating Ideas, may be outdated or irrelevant to you, those chapters are super short. They may still hold a helpful nugget or two of wisdom.
There are limited images in this book. You will not miss them since these are primarily familiar recipes, but the photos appear in a group (without page numbers) after page 120. The recipe images include shots of Grandpa’s Blueberry Muffins, Double Corn Muffins, and Cranberry Walnut Muffins (with their page numbers, which is a nice touch).
Other images include Carol’s Holiday Stollen, Creamy Stove-Top Rice Pudding, Old-Fashioned Chocolate Pudding, Fluffy Tapioca Pudding, Write-Your-Own Fortune Cookies, and Blue Ribbon Cherry Pie with Quick Lattice Topping.
Finally, you can view the finished product of Cranberry Pizza and Apple Pie Pizza, Three-Layer Chocolate Raspberry Romance Cake with Chocolate Silk Icing (raspberries, so you know I’m in), and the Ice Cream “Sand” Castle (which is absolutely adorable).
Chapters in “The Family Baker” include:
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- About the Recipes in this Book
- Biscuits, Muffins, and Scones
- Quick Breads
- Puddings and Bread Puddings
- Cookies
- Pies, Pizzas, and Tarts
- Coffee Cakes, Cobblers, and Crisps
- Cakes
- Kids in the Kitchen: Ice Cream, Candy, and Treats
- Easy Decorating Ideas
- About Bake Sales
- About High Altitude Baking
- Equivalents and Substitutions
- Pan Volume and Serving Chart
- About Ingredients
- About Equipment
- Special-Use Recipe Index
- Mail-Order Sources and Suppliers
- Recipe Index
Chapters vary in size. You’ll find plenty of diversity. I plan on baking To-Live-For Chocolate Mousse Cake (page 138), Orange Angel Cake (page 144) for a fun spin on the traditional Angel Food Cake, and the Black and White Chocolate Pudding Cake for something different. That’s the cakes chapter alone.
See why I say this cookbook is a must-have? Glazed Lemon Thin (page 63), Danish Oat Cookies (page 49), and Black and White Chocolate Crackles (page 71), which may be a Brownie Cookie recipe, and you know how much we love those.
What Are People Saying About “The Family Baker?”
Whenever I see a cookbook rating, it’s guaranteed that people remove stars for things unrelated to the cookbook, such as slow shipping, receiving the wrong item, or getting a damaged item. These reviewers on Amazon get it right.
Here are a few nice things people had to say about Purdy’s “The Family Baker” cookbook (with plenty of high marks when it comes to any recipe rating, as you’ll see below):
Every recipe I’ve made from The Family Baker has been great! Just made the Strawberry-Rhubarb Streusel Pie and it was delicious! Made it gluten-free (flour & oats) and it turned out great!
Genelle, June 18, 2016.
There are several recipes that have become family standards. We love the blueberry buckle, the Texas sheet cake, Steve’s Brownies & the Oatmeal Cookies. I even made the triple layer chocolate raspberry romance cake for a special event and earned rave reviews.
All of the instructions are very detailed, yet allow for variation to suit personal taste. I liked the cookbook so much that I purchased another by the same author.
DeniseO, February 21, 2009.
Somewhere in my days of strict low carb dieting I gave away this book. Here I am some years later and I’m reading a recipe where the author refers to Susan Purdy and her exceptional baking. . .
She writes with such clarity and I feel like I’m in the kitchen and she’s there showing me how it’s done.
You’ll find a nice selection of cookies, cake and pie recipes. Look no further, this is one you need if you bake for family and friends.
LoveMyJRTs, July 1, 2013.
I agree, of course. For a little cookbook reading and a whole lot of baking inspiration, this is the book you’ve been missing.
Chocolate and Nut Biscotti (with a focus on the chocolate)
Biscotti have moved far away from the traditionally not-that-sweet recipe, at least here in the U.S. Although I love cookies for breakfast and will eat pie, cake, or coffee cake (especially a certain peanut butter streusel coffee cake recipe), when I’m super into a project or the words are flowing, I want a quick breakfast.
Anything I can snatch up and eat over my laptop is a good fit.
Why choose double chocolate biscotti when you can choose triple chocolate biscotti? This recipe includes cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and drizzled melted chocolate. The crunch of toasted hazelnuts is a superb addition.
Triple chocolate walnut biscotti? Chocolate almond biscotti or chocolate hazelnut biscotti? Whatever nuts you choose is fine — the chocolate biscotti recipe is a great base.
If you’d prefer a not-too-sweet biscotto, then this recipe is for you. If you like your biscotto on the sweet side, this recipe is also for you — but you’ll want to make the chocolate drizzle to bump it up.
Susan uses bittersweet chocolate, so I’d suggest swapping the bittersweet chocolate for milk chocolate or semisweet chocolate for sweeter chocolate flavor. The same goes for the chocolate chips.
If you prefer less sweet biscotti, then opt for dark chocolate chips. Like it sweeter? Choose semisweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips. Swap it out with white chocolate chunks or a white chocolate drizzle for kicks.
Play around with it, trying different degrees of dark chocolate or bittersweet chocolate (and write in your cookbook so you know what you did). I like this biscotti recipe without the melted chocolate drizzle. After I tasted the finished twice-based cookie, I didn’t want to add a thing.
Putting the Nut in Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
You probably noticed how the recipe title isn’t specific as to the type of nut used in this biscotti recipe. That’s a good thing. It’s far more likely you not only have what you need without another trip to the grocery store, but you can play around with nutty combinations to suit your taste and find your fave.
I included Susan’s suggestions in the recipe directions below, but here it is again. The recipe recommends 3/4 cup of toasted hazelnuts or a combination. If you love almond biscotti, use 1/4 cup chopped almonds or for chocolate walnut biscotti, make it walnuts and combine the almonds or walnuts with 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts.
This recipe uses a combination of extracts. Start with 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and use either 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract or hazelnut extract for nice depth of flavor.
Baking Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
Biscotti recipes share a common trait: they require two different baking sessions. The name “biscotti” means twice-baked. If it isn’t twice baked, it ain’t biscotti.
You’ll form the cookie dough into a cylinder. I do this right on the parchment paper-covered sheet pan. Typical biscotti recipes create enough cookie dough to form two logs. You’ll slightly flatten the log and bake according to the recipe.
Then, you’ll pull the half-baked cookie dough logs out of the oven, take the cool biscotti (recipes vary on this), and cut into 1/2″ or so slices on the diagonal. An electric knife is a wonderful thing here (I consider it a kitchen essential item). Lay the slices on the flat side.
The slices bake on the same baking sheet again. Then, you’ll remove them from the oven, cool, and either drizzle with melted chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet chocolate or whatever other chocolate you want) or leave plain, as-is.
Recipe for Triple Chocolate Biscotti with Nuts
Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
Equipment
- 1 Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
For the Italian Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
- 2 1/2 Cups All-Purpose Flour (a little more, too, in case dough is too sticky)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder, Susan recommends Dutch-Processed Cocoa Powder I used unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter Softened (I used Salted Butter)
- 1 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs at room temperature (or set in a bowl of lukewarm water while you get the rest of the ingredients gathered together)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Almond Extract or Hazelnut Extract I used Almond Extract
- 3/4 Cup (or 4 1/4 ounces) Toasted Hazelnuts or a combination Susan provides an example: 1/4 cup chopped almonds or walnuts and 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
- 1/2 Cup (3 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate Chips
Biscotti Topping
- 1 Cup (6 ounces) Semisweet Chocolate Chips or chopped Bittersweet Chocolate or Chopped White Chocolate
Instructions
How To Toast Hazelnuts
- 350* oven (note: the biscotti will bake at 325* so don't forget to reduce the oven temperature when you finish toasting hazelnuts).
- Toast hazelnuts for 8 minutes (you'll be able to smell the hazelnuts toasting). Other nuts will take 10 to 12 minutes to toast, Susan shared.
- If the hazelnuts have skin on them, wrap them in a towel to steam them for a couple of minutes. Then rub them to remove the majority of the skins. Chop.
- The hazelnuts I purchased didn't have much in the way of skins and were already chopped.
How To Make Triple Chocolate Nut Biscotti
- 325* oven.
- Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. You will reuse the baking sheet and parchment paper for both bakes.
- Combine the dry ingredients: mix together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Give it a whisk if there are any clumps.
- In the large bowl of your electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together. Susan says it should look like a paste. I included an image above so you can see what I did.
- Then, beat in both eggs, the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and the almond extract (or hazelnut extract).
- Using a low speed on your electric mixer, pour in the dry ingredient flour mixture, chopped nuts, and the chocolate chips at once. Beat ONLY to combine.
- Then, take the dough and form it into a ball. Is the biscotti dough too sticky? Add in a little more all-purpose flour.
- With floured fingers, divide dough in half.
- Roll each dough half into a log 13" long by 1 1/2" wide by 1" high.
- Set the biscotti dough logs 2" apart on the baking pan.
- Gently flatten the tops of the logs so they become 13 1/2" by 1 3/4" by 3/4".
- Bake at 325* for 30 minutes or until the logs appear dry on the top and semi-firm if you gently press them. Use a cake tester (or a toothpick) and test near the center of the log. If it comes out almost clean with just a smidge of chocolate on it, take the baking pan out of the oven, and reduce the heat to 275*.
- Let the biscotti logs cool on the cookie sheet for 10 minutes and then transfer them to a cutting board (a long spatula or fish turner works well).
- You can use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to slice the still-warm biscotti logs on the diagonal 1/2" thick. I use an electric knife with a serrated knife attachment.
- Set the sliced biscotti cut side down (so you have flat biscotti) right on the same baking sheet. Use two pans if you run out of room.
- Bake the biscotti for 15 to 20 minutes or until they are dry and crisp. The longer you bake them, the harder they become. Don't forget — they will harden when they cool, too.
- Move the biscotti to a wire rack to cool. If you are using a chocolate drizzle, then you may want to place a length of wax paper underneath the wire rack to catch the drips.
For the chocolate biscotti topping
- Melt the chocolate until smooth. Drag a fork through the melted chocolate and drizzle it in thin lines over the biscotti. Cool the biscotti completely before storing them between (new) clean wax paper in a reusable plastic airtight container.
- Biscotti may be stored in the container for up to two weeks at room temperature or double-wrapped and frozen for up to two months, Susan wrote.
Another Winning Biscotti Recipe
Whether you choose to eat your chocolate biscotti plain, dunked in hot coffee or hot chocolate or wine, as we discovered when we learned how to make biscotti, is up to you. Breakfast snack or anytime treat? You’re going to need more biscotti recipes.
Stay tuned for upcoming Italian cookie recipes. Who couldn’t use more trustworthy dessert recipes?
Cookbooks by Susan G. Purdy
If there’s something you want to bake, chances are Susan has written about it. Take a look at her cookbooks below.
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