Biscotti

I've been way too intimidated by the chance of failure to ever attempt to make my own biscotti. However, these were incredibly easy to make, and so delicious, I'm never buying pre-made biscotti again! They're simultaneously hearty enough to hold up as you dunk them in your coffee or tea, while also melting in your mouth! I don't drink coffee, but I highly recommend dunking in a cup of Earl Grey or Darjeeling tea!

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all purpose flour

1 cup almond flour

2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 cup white granulated sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup (I use a little less than 1/4 cup, so at most do a scant 1/4 cup)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 oz chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 oz white chocolate chips

1/3 cup slivered almonds

8 dried apricots, finely chopped (optional)

1/4 cup coconut oil

1 and 1/2 teaspoons almond extract

For the chocolate coating: 3/4 cup chocolate of your choice

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375F. Combine almond extract and coconut oil in a small bowl. Next, toast your almonds in a skillet or in the oven until golden brown (about 5-7 mins).

Step 2: In a medium sized bowl, mix the eggs, oil/almond extract mixture, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Then, in a separate small bowl, combine the all purpose flour, almond flour, salt, and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix to combine until you have a somewhat sticky dough that holds its shape when you stir (see if you can roll it into a ball).

Step 3: Fold in your chocolate, white chocolate, almonds, and apricots so they're evenly dispersed throughout the dough. Line your baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Get your hands damp, put your dough on the lined baking sheet, and pat the dough into a 10 inch wide by 6 inch long rectangle. Bake this slab of dough until golden brown and fragrant (mine took about 25 minutes).

Step 4: Let your slab of biscotti cool for about 10-15 minutes, or until it's cool enough to handle. Then slice it vertically into 1 to 2 inch slices, and place cut side up on the lined baking sheet, so that the spongy looking part of the biscotti is visible. Bake for another 10 minutes until the biscotti have deepened in color and they are brittle to the touch.

Step 5: Let your biscotti cool and melt the chocolate of your choice. Then drizzle, dip or pour to your heart's content and let the chocolate set in the fridge! Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!