This Easy Biscotti recipe is as addictive as it is simple.
Flavoured with espresso and hazelnuts, these Italian biscotti are the perfect end to a good meal.
About this easy biscotti recipe
Biscotti means twice baked resulting in a crisp biscuit or cookie originating from Italy. Traditionally biscotti di Prato contained no fat ensuring longevity and creating a crunchy, brittle biscotti.
This easy biscotti recipe with espresso and hazelnuts is not your traditional hard biscotti that you need to dunk in a good espresso or a glass of spumante to eat. These Italian biscotti are delicious eaten in the traditional way and stay firm when dunked into your espresso. However these espresso biscotti are tender enough to enjoy on their own due to the added butter. Adding a little fat to the traditional biscotti make them tender. Adding a little bit of oil also works in the same way just like in my Salted Cranberry and Pecan Biscotti
Ingredients
- butter
- sugar
- vanilla
- eggs
- coffee beans
- plain (all purpose flour)
- desiccated coconut
- baking powder
- cinnamon
- hazelnuts
- dark chocolate
How to make this recipe
- Grind the coffee beans or use ground coffee beans
- Beat butter and sugar with vanilla
- Add eggs
- Stir in flour, desiccated coconut, baking powder, cinnamon, hazelnuts and chocolate
- Form into two logs and bake
- When barely cool, cut into slices
- Bake slices until crisp
Can I vary this easy biscotti recipe?
Absolutely! The variations for this Italian biscotti are limited only to your imagination. I often vary the recipe according to what is in the pantry and needs to be used up.
Why not substitute the nuts, chocolate or spices for:-
- white chocolate
- milk chocolate
- almonds
- pecans
- walnuts
- pistachio
- ground ginger
- mixed spice
- cardamom
Don’t be afraid of the ground coffee beans. That’s what make this recipe so special.
This easy biscotti recipe is so simple and has an intense coffee flavour.
My favourite way to eat these is dipped in warmed Nutella. Are you a dipper? Do you prefer to dip in tea, coffee or wine? Have you ever tried dipping into warmed Nutella?
Related recipes
Mocha Cake
Crispy Coffee Cookies
Espresso and Roasted Hazelnut Biscotti
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick/115 grams) butter softened
- ¾ cup superfine (castor) sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 eggs (see notes)
- ½ cup coffee beans (see notes)
- 2 ⅓ cups all purpose (plain) flour
- ¼ cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 cup roasted hazelnuts skinned
- ¾ cup (150 grams) chopped dark chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat over to 350ºF/180ºC and line a large oven tray with baking paper.
- Put the coffee beans into food processor and process for 2 minutes until finely chopped.
- Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon.
- Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale. Add eggs one at a time.
- Stir sifted flour mixture into butter mixture along with ground coffee, coconut, hazelnuts and chocolate and mix until well combined.
- Knead lightly and form into two logs about 10in/25cm long on the baking tray and pat down to about approx ½ inch/1½cm in thickness. Bake for 25 minutes. Cool completely – about 1 hour.
- Reheat the oven to 300ºF/150ºC. Line two baking trays with baking paper. Using a serrated knife cut logs into approx ⅓ inch/1cm slices and arrange cut side down on baking trays.
- Bake for 15 minutes until firm to touch. Cool on a wire rack.
Notes
- Use extra large eggs – 70g eggs or even larger. It is better to err on the larger side of eggs with these biscotti.
- Always grind your own coffee beans as per the recipe. Don’t use preground, it is way too fine.
- Hold back a couple of spoonfuls of flour if you think it is looking dry. You can always add more flour but you can’t take it away.
- Use a thin bladed, serrated knife to cut the biscotti. Cut slowly and carefully. Some will break, that’s inevitable but that’s the cook’s treat!
Nutrition
I always love this Italian classic! These sound and look fantastic with the combo of flavours.
True, I can’t go past good biscotti!
First time making these. Plan to send to West coast for bday present. I am going to use slivered almonds instead, and planned on using pure almond extract where as my vanilla extract is artificial. Should I use less of the pure? Also, because of space deprivation, can I use the initial bake in 8.5X4.5 loaf pans as I saw in another recipe? Thanks in advance.
Hi Rochelle. Biscotti are great to ship! These will be an excellent birthday gift! I think it should be ok to use 1 teaspoon of pure almond extract in place of the vanilla extract. If you don’t don’t want the flavor too pronounced perhaps cut it back a little. As far as baking in a loaf pan, that’s something I’ve never done. However, my suggestion is to line with non stick baking paper just in case it could stick. Also, I think it may not cook as quickly so just check on that. During the initial baking the dough should rise and become firm and when pressed with your finger shouldn’t leave an indentation.
I LOVE biscotti, usually I make a lemon/almond version but espresso is really making me excited 🙂 Must try this out very soon, it sounds fabulous. (By the way, that is one fantatsic looking choc-cherry slice up there!)
These look delicious, and I will have to bookmark them to make. I finally made a couple great varieties of biscotti for Christmas this year, I never could get it right before. I love that biscotti lasts a while, so maybe I'll make it soon!
This is how I love my biscotti.. not too hard and not too soft! Love the addition of coconut.. sounds divine!
Love all the flavors and texture you've got in your biscotti.