If you're looking for homemade edible gifts, these biscuits (cookies) are a good one to opt for. Not only are they delicious, but they keep really well too. The recipe is fairly easy, though you do have to bake the biscotti twice. Full of flavour, visually appealing and fragrant too, they're hard to resist.
300gflour(I use 150g wholemeal spelt and 150g white spelt)
½tspbaking powder
½tspbicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼tspsalt(I use Himalayan pink rock salt)
75gcocoa powder(I use Green & Blacks)
200ggranulated sugaror caster sugar
2tsporange zestoptional
3large eggs
1tspvanilla extract
Instructions
Roast the hazelnuts for ten minutes in a hot oven to loosen the skins.
Allow to cool a little, then roll the nuts between your hands to take off the skins. Alternatively you can roll them in a clean tea towel.
Chop them roughly.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl suspended over a pan of hot water - nearly, but not quite boiling.
In a large bowl, sift in the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and 75g cocoa powder.
Stir in the sugar, nuts and orange zest, if using.
Make a well in the centre and break in the eggs.
Add the vanilla extract, then mix, working in the dry ingredients from the side.
Add the melted chocolate and mix a bit more.
Bring the dough together with your hands. If the mixture is too dry, add a tablespoons or more of water. But be careful, this should not be a wet mixture.
Divide the dough into two and roll into logs, about three inches wide.
Place the logs on a lined baking tray and bake at 180℃ (160℃ fan, 350℉, Gas 4) for 25 minutes.
Remove from oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
Cut the rolls on the diagonal into 1 cm thick slices to ensure a longish thinnish shape.
Bake the slices for a further 20 mins at 160℃ (140℃ fan, 320℉, Gas 3), turning them over half way through.
Place on a wire rack and leave to cool.
Notes
Makes around 30 biscotti.The orange zest is entirely optional, but again, unless you dislike orange, do give it a go. A small amount of zest will give a hint of flavour and not overwhelm. But it will make the finished chocolate hazelnut biscotti a little bit brighter in the eating.Please note: calories and other nutritional information are per serving. They’re approximate and will depend on exact ingredients used.