Biscotti was the Roman Empire’s version of hard tack—its legions marched to battle with bellies full of biscotti—which is proof positive that Italians do everything better! In modern-day Italy, they are generally referred to as “cantucci”— “biscotti” is a broader, more generic term for a hard cookie or bread.
As the name suggests, biscotti are twice-cooked (“Bis” meant “twice” in latin, and “cotto”—the singular of “cotti”—means “cooked” in modern Italian), and this recipe requires you to do just that. The upside is that you end up with a wonderfully crunchy cookie to dip in your cappuccino or dessert wine, and they will last far longer than your typical chewy American cookie.
Peanut butter and chocolate are not particularly authentic flavorings, but this is one of my favorite recipes and--judging by all of the information I’ve extracted from neighbors I’ve plied with these biscotti—one of Acorn Hollow’s favorite recipes too!
Bake logs at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Then remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes. Turn down oven temperature to 300 degrees. Slice logs on the bias (diagonally) into 3/4 inch thick slices. Then arrange slices, cut side up, on the cookie sheet and bake at 300 degrees for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, flip sliced biscotti so that the other side gets toasted and bake another 10 minutes at 300 degrees.
Let biscotti cool on a wire rack. Once biscotti have cooled somewhat, melt 3 cups of chocolate chips in a double boiler (or microwave according to package directions), stirring constantly. Then dredge one side of each biscotti in the melted chocolate (or drizzle over twice-baked cookie) and return to the wire rack to dry. Let harden overnight.
Spritz your hands with non-stick cooking spray before forming dough into logs.
I used mini chocolate chips in the dough and regular chips for dipping.
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