Chocolate Squared: Double chocolate raisin-walnut biscotti

May 27, 9:43 AMLA Baking ExaminerHilary Cable

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Walnuts, raisins and chocolate./Wikimedia Commons

Today we'll make double chocolate raisin-walnut biscotti – a sophisticated cookie that’s best enjoyed soaked in coffee. This recipe makes a very chocolaty cookie that’s rich with raisins and walnuts and studded with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.  

I recently visited the book sale at the Altadena library and found a couple of interesting things including “Making Your own Biscotti and Dunking Delights” by Dona Meilach. It's in a pristine dust jacket and looks as if it had never been opened. The previous owner missed out. Its 90 or so pages are full of interesting biscotti recipes and accompaniments, such as rum floats, and a list of 8 ways to say “to your health!”

This recipe is from “Making Your own Biscotti and Dunking Delights” by Dona Meilach; ISBN 0-517-70495-1.

Ingredients: 

3 large eggs

¾ cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

3 cups all-purpose white flour

1/3 cup Dutch process unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/8 tsp. salt

¾ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted

½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup brown raisins

Method: 

Preheat oven to 300°. 

Spray two AirBake cookie sheet with no-stick spray and set aside. 

In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. 

Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until blended. 

Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth and incorporated. 

Fold in the nuts, chocolate chips and raisins. 

Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 loaves. They should be about 4 inches wide and 3/4 inches tall. 

Place the loaves 2 inches apart on one of the prepared cookie sheets. 

Bake for about 50 minutes until the tops puff and are slightly cracked. 

Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 275°

Cool the loaves on the pan for 10 minutes. 

Transfer to a cutting board. Cut each loaf on the diagonal in ½-inch or ¾-inch slices using a sharp, serrated knife. 

Place the slices cut-side down on the second prepared cookie sheet in the 275° oven for 10 minutes or until brown. 

Cool on the pan 5 minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack. Makes about 3 dozen biscotti. 

Cook’s notes: 

• You can toast the walnuts while preheating the oven, but toasting stovetop will give you more control. Just toss them into a sauté pan (cast iron is great for toasting nuts and spices). Over medium heat, shake the pan to keep the nuts in motion. You’ll notice them start to brown and they’ll smell good. Pour into a dish and cool.  
• To turn this into a chocolate-cubed recipe, melt a bit of bittersweet chocolate and dip the ends of your biscotti. Allow the chocolate to harden before serving. They’ll be coffee-house gorgeous and will quiet your inner chocoholic. 
• Biscotti are not difficult to make. Slicing takes practice, and you can expect to lose a few of them. Bake them anyway and freeze them to use later in a fantastic crumb crust for your next chocolate cheesecake. 
• Serve biscotti with steaming hot latte or strong black coffee. 

More information: 

Union Square Café makes sumptuous chocolate biscotti. Here’s the New York Times adaption.