A nice piece of biscotti with a hot cappuccino is a wonderful way to end any meal, especially dinner. Yes, I know if we were in Italy it would be considered absolute sacrilege to have a cappuccino so late in the evening, but in the new world, we like to sometimes bend the rules.
One of my favorite types of these Italian cookies is a lemon biscotti with crunchy nuts and for absolute indulgence, a nice generous dip into dark or semi-sweet chocolate. The citrus notes cuts into the sweetness of the cookie, the nuts gives additional texture and crunch…all smoothed out by chocolate melting on a warm tongue.
The cappuccino is best with this dessert when served piping hot, no sugar is needed so it provides a nice balance to my Lemon Almond Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti.
It is true that when you bite into one of these, you too would agree that “All’s well that ends well”. Yet the start of this biscotti recipe is not a chore either and the batter is irresistibly delicious too.
“All’s well that ends well” Lemon Almond Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup toasted almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons of cold butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 fresh large lemon (it is always nice to have a lemon tree in your backyard)
- 8 oz of dark or semi-sweet chocolate to be used to dip the biscotti in
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
1. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and almonds into a large mixing bowl. Ensure it is all thoroughly mixed. You may want to sift the flour and sugar to ensure all lumps are removed.
2. In another medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla, and milk. Grate the skin of the entire lemon and add the zest to the bowl. Add the juice from only half the lemon. Whisk again to ensure all the wet ingredients are mixed together.
3. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add them to the large bowl of dry ingredients. Use your hands and fully incorporate the butter into the flour as you would when making shortbread cookies.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients. Use your hands mix the ingredients together until a uniform dough is formed.
5. Shape the dough into two logs, using a light sprinkling of flour to ensure the dough doesn’t stick to your working surface.
6. Place the logs nicely spaced apart on a well-greased baking sheet. Flatten the logs out as desired for the desired thickness of the biscotti you prefer. Some of this is very much a personal preference.
7. Place in oven for 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden brown and the center of the logs are done.
8. Take out the logs and let cool for 7 minutes.
9. Cut the logs into uniform pieces. How thick or thin you slice them depends on how you like your biscotti. I like to make mine about 1/2 inch thick.
10. Place the pieces of biscotti on their sides on the baking sheet and bake for another 25-35 minutes. The longer to you place them in the oven, the crunchier they are going to get. So this all depends on the biscotti textures you enjoy. I personally like my biscotti nice an crunchy. Once done, take out the biscotti and ensure they are cooled before you dip them into the chocolate.
11. Cut the chocolate into small pieces and place in a double boiler. Increase temperature and keep the chocolate moving until it is fully melted. Then dip half the biscotti into the chocolate and place the biscotti on a sheet of foil.
12. The chocolate will take several hours to fully harden. When it does, peel it gently from the foil.
Place your biscotti in a sealed container and the next time you have a hairy day, just sit back with a cappuccino, grab a piece of Lemon Almond Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti and know that, “All’s well that ends well”.
