Jun. 28, 2021
Cooking In Season
Salad Meals to Beat the Heat
In this recipe round up, I have gathered my best and most delicious summer salad meal recipes in one post, for days when it’s too hot to cook!
February 5, 2017
Biscotti with Pistachio, Dark Chocolate, and Red Chili
These biscotti with raw pistachio, chopped bittersweet chocolate, and freshly ground red chili are bursting with flavour, heat, and complexity right from the first bite; perfect for dipping in a steaming mug of hot cocoa, tea, or coffee.
Disclaimer
This post has been sponsored by Rancho Vignola. Giveaway now CLOSED.
I have been making homemade biscotti for many years: always at Christmas time, and always to give away as gifts… leaving me with the smaller end bits of biscotti to eat, and (I’m not ashamed to admit) the chunky crumbs from the bottom of the cookie tin.
I decided this year to make some biscotti just for myself, and while I was at it, to make a entirely new flavour. All for me.
Playing around with flavour combinations, I reminded myself that in biscotti, as in life, there can never been too much chocolate. So chocolate was a must. And as soon as I decided on dark chocolate, the rest of the recipe idea fell into place. Raw pistachios and sweetly spicy red chili seemed just exactly what I was craving with some dark chocolate to dip into a cup of steaming tea or coffee.
I only needed to test the recipe once. My classic biscotti formula adjusted to include pistachio, chopped bittersweet chocolate, and freshly ground red chili was bursting with flavour, heat, and complexity right from the first bite. And of course, using super fresh Rancho Vignola products (their pistachios and their dark baking chocolate domes) only made everything better.
BUT it never hurts to test something a second time, right? Especially when it allowed me another three dozen delicious biscotti to eat? All for me!!
Next year, I’m putting myself on my Christmas biscotti list.
Biscotti with Pistachio, Dark Chocolate, and Red Chili
These biscotti with raw pistachio, chopped bittersweet chocolate, and freshly ground red chili are bursting with flavour, heat, and complexity right from the first bite; perfect for dipping in a steaming mug of hot cocoa, tea, or coffee.
Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp ground chili (Cascabel or New Mexico; if using a spicier chili, like cayenne, use half the amount)
¼ cup butter, melted
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1¼ cup raw shelled pistachios
1 cup chopped dark chocolate (semi sweet or bittersweet)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a large sheet pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour with the baking powder, soda, salt and ground chili. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs and egg whites until foamy. Add the sugar and beat until thick and creamy. Beat in the vanilla extract, melted butter, pistachio, and dark chocolate.
- On low speed, stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, mixing well to combine. Divide the dough in two and place them about 4 inches apart on the parchment-lined baking sheet. Shape each into a smooth, flat-topped log about 1½ inches wide and about 15 inches long.
- Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until they feel firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool for 15 minutes. Turn down the oven to 275°F. Place logs on a cutting board and slice on the diagonal into ½ inch slices. Arrange the slices upright on the baking sheets, leaving a bit of room around each for air circulation, and bake them again for 20-30 minutes.
- Let the biscotti cool on wire racks. Store in air tight containers. Their flavour will improve in a few days. They will last about a month if nobody eats them first!
Reader Comments (38)
Leave a Reply
More Recent Articles
Oct. 25, 2020
Cooking In Season
Quince: Easy Peeling and Cutting Tips
Quince have a wonderful flavour, but an almost impossibly hard texture. Read on for a quick kitchen tip that makes quince easy to peel and cut!
Sep. 27, 2020
Baking
Pumpkin Spice Scones
Pumpkin spices scones are a perfect fall treat; not-too-sweet, fragrant with spices, with a full complement of rich pumpkin flavour.
I have been wanting to make biscotti for ages and this looks like the recipe to try. Thanks! Also love the sound of your new Flavours of the Exotic and would love to attend
The biscotti looks fabulous! Will have to alternate making them along with the pies I can now make thanks to Pie 101!
Would love to take the Flavours of the Exotic class!
I love biscotti. I’m definitely going to try this recipe.
The biscotti looks amazing! And so does the Flavours of the Exotic class!
Thank you for posting such an innovative biscotti recipe! I’ve been hesitant to use different types of ground chili in my baking but I’m inspired to try now. I love your classes and most informative blog posts!
Maureen – you are welcome and thank you!
These look absolutely delightful. I can’t wait to try them!
These look so yummy! Can I substitute the flour for a gluten free substitute?
Yes, Vanessa, absolutely!
What a beautiful looking cookie! The flavor combo is really interesting too. Thanks for sharing!
Biscotti are such wonderful cookies – I love them and will be sure to make your version very soon.
So intrigued by the combination of flavors! Sounds so delicious!