Dark Chocolate & Dried Cherry Biscotti

The weekend is here…making it a perfect time for biscotti. Actually, it’s always a perfect time for biscotti, but let’s focus on why we need this in our life this weekend. Shall we?

You see, the lovely thing about biscotti, beyond its incredible flavor and wonderful crunch, is that it can be made ahead of time. So, if you’ve got a road trip planned this weekend, company coming or just want to laze into your days – my recommendation is that you get a jump on it – go ahead, pre-heat your oven to 325 F…yep, right now…go…I’ll wait…you’ll be happy that you took my advice and made these Dark Chocolate & Dried Cherry Biscotti, now. Mm-hmmm. I’m sure of it.

The first time I recall tasting biscotti was at my grandparents’ house, way back in the day. Stella D’oro Anisette Toasts. Gram would bring out the package to serve with coffee on the tiny island in her perfectly appointed little kitchen. Not a mappina (dishtowel in Italian) out of place. I’m not sure what I loved more – the mild anise flavor of these twice-baked Italian cookies or the smell of coffee and the clink of their spoons as they swirled cream and sugar in their apricot colored cups.

Like Gram and Gramp, Dom loves his biscotti. Outside of almond paste cookies, I’m pretty certain homemade biscotti is his favorite semi-sweet treat.

Now…….my guy is a dunker. And unless it’s a piece of Italian bread straight into a pot of sauce, I am not a dunker. He’s always trying to get me to dip my cookies in my coffee, but I can’t. I’ve always believed that the reward of eating biscotti is its intense crunch factor. I mean, why bake it twice if you’re just going to soften it anyway? Who’s with me? Anybody? Anybody?

And here is where I “eat” my words…

No dunking! Except for today!

I know – I’m waffling. But the rich chocolaty flavor is doubly enhanced by the taste of bold dark coffee. A quick dunk – just enough for the nooks and crannies to grab a hold, not enough to soak it but enough to render you a tantalizing treat. Dark melty chocolate, tart chewy cherries, crunchy sliced almonds and coffee. That’s a day at the park right there, am I right?

Because Dom and I are such big coffee drinkers, it’s nice to have a little homemade treat to accompany our morning, mid-day and evening beverage. There was once a day that we would drink an entire pot of coffee after dinner. We don’t do that anymore – but we sure do enjoy our brew…especially in the morning, on car trips, after lunch, with dessert… See? We’re fans.

These biscotti do a great job of elevating one of our favorite past times.

So – if you’re a coffee drinker, a tea drinker, or even a wine drinker – you’re going to want this recipe in your tin of favorites.

And, if you’re nothing like we are, and think they’ll last in your house for two weeks – they’ll keep in an airtight container.

Buon Appetito!

Dark Chocolate & Dried Cherry Biscotti

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• Author: Ciao Chow Bambina

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Ingredients

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• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1 cup dried tart cherries
• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3/4 cup sliced almonds

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and egg whites.
4. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, mix until moist.
5. Add dried cherries, chocolate morsels and almonds and mix again until just combined. Batter will have a look of crumbles but will come together when you form it.
6. On a floured surface, divide batter in half.
7. Pat each into a log about 14 inches long, 1 1/2 inches wide.
8. Place logs on a cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 30 minutes.
10. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 300 F.
11. Cut biscotti diagonally into 1/2 inch slices.
12. Stand them upright on cookie sheet and bake for an additional 20 minutes.

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Wait…there’s more!

Orange Biscotti with Grand Marnier

Cranberry Almond Biscotti

Biscotti from around the web…

Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti from Shugary Sweets

Lemon Almond Biscotti from King Arthur Flour

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Biscotti from Annie’s Eats

White Chocolate and Cranberry Biscotti from What’s Gaby Cooking

Pumpkin Pie Biscotti from Gimme Some Oven

That’ll get you started!

Have a lovely weekend, my friends!

Ciao!