Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Mercilessly stolen from A Girl, A Style blog (a must read) these are now a regular feature at Ras Mbisi, I do play around with different ingredients (e.g. lime (zest), cardamom and cashew), but this (the original) is fantastic!

CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO BISCOTTI

This is perfect with a strong mid-morning coffee, (and so much better than the stale, brittle biscotti you buy in coffee shops). Makes around 35 pieces and keeps for 1 week.

Ingredients:

2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking power
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
100g good quality dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks
3 large eggs
2-3 tablespoons melted butter (begin with 2, and add more if needed to moisten mixture to a firm dough)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (or 1/2 cup for a darker version)

Method:

Preheat over to 180 degrees. In a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add pistachios, chocolate and any other filling. In a separate small bowl, mix eggs, melted butter, vanilla and cocoa. Add this to the flour mixture and stir until combined (dough will become quite hard to mix, so use hands to knead into a smooth dough).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into two, and shape into two logs about 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle each with brown sugar if you wish. Bake until risen and firm (15-20 minutes). Let logs cool completely on sheet (about 30 minutes).

Reduce oven to 150 degrees. When logs have cooled, cut crosswise (using a serrated knife) into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake until dry (15-20 minutes). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.