Biscotti with Orange and Chocolate Chips

Have you ever sat in a restaurant, enjoying a dish so much that even before you finished, you felt sad about it being gone? Not only that, but before leaving the restaurant you’d already resolved to make your own version as soon as possible? This happened to me just recently, on me and my husband’s 18th Anniversary trip to Ashland, OR. And the culprit? The most delicious Biscotti with Orange and Chocolate Chips.

The last morning of our trip, after two days enjoying plays at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, we made one last walk into town to find some version of coffee and pastries. We had spent two days in the charming little town, enjoying three amazing plays, perusing the shops, buying books at every bookstore, and doing our fair share of eating out. It was so fun to get away, relax and celebrate each other and our marriage. As we strolled down the streets, we popped in to Lumina Cafe just to check out the menu, keeping our options open, but as soon as I saw the biscotti in the display case, I was sold. Enjoyed alongside a fresh cappuccino, a slice of olive oil cake, and a thick slab of a sausage and butternut squash frittata, it made for the best breakfast I’ve had in a long time. I couldn’t have wiped the smile off my face if I had tried. My husband was chuckling at my enthusiasm. “This is perfect!” I repeated.

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So…what even is a biscotti?

Put simply, biscotti is a cookie from Italy. The name literally means “twice baked,” which is in fact how you achieve that glorious crispy texture. In Italy, biscotti can refer to all types of cookies, just as “biscuit” refers to cookies in the UK. But here in America, the name has become synonymous with the tall, thin, crispy oblong shaped treat, specifically.

Interestingly, the cookie’s crispy texture came about as a preservation method. Ancient Roman soldiers needed something they could pack along on their travels, without spoilage or crumbling, for when food ran short. That’s how old biscotti is!!! Then later on in the 19th century, a Tuscan baker came up with the all-almond version, and named it Cantucci. It is this version that I love to make most, as it’s already naturally gluten-free. I don’t eat entirely gluten free, but when I can omit grains without much effort, all the better.

So…what’s the big deal with biscotti?

Why can you find biscotti available at almost any coffee stand or shop? Why am I making these babies at least once a week? Well, there are quite a few reasons why biscotti is the tops.

• Relatively healthy. For a delicious cookie, biscotti can be relatively healthy. They are relatively easy to make with alternative flours and sugars, and can be filled with healthier items like fruit or nuts. They are also pretty low fat, using only a few tablespoons of butter (a healthy fat) or coconut oil.
• Satisfying. Because of their harder, more crispy texture, a biscotti takes time to eat. It’s not something you rush through, making you less likely to overindulge.
• Dunkable. While I’m not one to actually dunk my biscotti IN my coffee, as I do not appreciate crumbs in my drink, I do love to eat them and drink a latte or cappuccino at the same time. They are a perfect sweet– but not too sweet– accompaniment to dark, bitter espresso in my opinion. And they add a extra layer of indulgence and enjoyment to breakfast.

How do you make biscotti?

Making biscotti is actually quite simple and can be done easily on a weekday morning. The longest amount of time is spent in the oven, and they do take a few steps, but it is absolutely worth it. Thanks to their crispy texture, biscotti will also stay fresh for several days, which means you can enjoy them more than just one morning.

Here’s the basic method:

• Mix the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. This would be your almond flour, maple sugar, baking powder and arrowroot flour.
• Mix the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Eggs, butter (or coconut oil) and almond extract.

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• Combine the wet with the dry, add the chocolate chips and orange zest, and press together with a spatula until a soft dough is formed.
• Spread the dough into roughly a 12″ long x 4-5″ wide log and bake!

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• After baking and a short cooling period, carefully slice the biscotti to the desired thickness.
• Turn the biscotti over on their sides so a cut side faces up, and put them back in the oven– now at a lower temperature– to dry and firm up. A slight golden is fine, but you don’t want them browned at all. Mostly just firm. It’s okay if they’re still a little bit soft in the middle too, they will continue to dry as they cool.
• Remove from the oven, let cool and ENJOY!

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Traditional biscotti flavors

Even biscotti made with regular flour often contain almonds in some way, shape or form. So you can see why making the biscotti from almond flour isn’t a huge leap. As I am always interested in the history of traditional dishes, I thought it would be fun to see what some of the classic biscotti flavor combinations are. But what I found was that it is relatively open to interpretation.

• Almond. Probably the most common flavor of biscotti out there, Almond biscotti can be found far and wide. Also known as Cantucci, Almond flavored or Almond flour biscotti have a very long history in Tuscany, in particular. I love this flavor, and if you haven’t, do give it a try.
• Anise. Yes, Anise. As in fennel/licorice flavor. This one is not my particular favorite, but is a very popular flavor profile in Italy. I remember a version made in the restaurant I used to work in, that used fennel pollen for the anise flavor. Fancy.
• Citrus. Either lemon or orange makes a great pairing with the crispy, crunchy texture of biscotti. I love to add orange in particular to mine.
• Hazelnut. I haven’t experimented with hazelnut flour, but I can imagine the sweet, nutty flavor of just hazelnuts themselves would be a delightful add.
• Pistachio. Pistachios are another favorite choice, with that sweet and savory flavor profile, and beautiful green color. Now I’m dreaming of pistachio gelato with pistachio biscotti crumbled on top. Yum!

Why I chose chocolate and orange for my biscotti

It’s simple really, I find myself mostly uninterested in a cookie unless there’s chocolate. Or a muffin. Or ice cream. Or…you name it, really. I want chocolate and I’m mostly just using whatever I’m putting it in as a vehicle for said sweet. However, chocolate can sometimes feel a bit too heavy in certainly applications, like these biscotti for example, so the addition of the orange zest gives it a really light, fresh flavor. Lifting the nuttiness of the almond flour with a hit of freshness, and bringing a sweetness to the bitter chocolate, the orange zest is a perfect addition in my humble opinion.

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Chocolate chips without all the nasties

But I’m not putting any old chocolate in my biscotti. After I had both my boys, I encountered some health issues. I don’t need to get into the whole story, but suffice it to say, I learned that I don’t do particularly well with refined sugar. As in it immediately crashes my immune system. So since then, I’ve needed to get creative and turn to alternative sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, maple sugar and coconut sugar. Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to find alternative sugars these days.

But products with sugar already in them CAN be a challenge. Particularly chocolate chips. Luckily, my dear Azure Standard has the perfect solution: Dark Chocolate Chips with Coconut Sugar AND no soy, which is another trigger for me. These chocolate chips are SO GOOD, melt perfectly, and are smaller and flatter than the average chip, which I find especially nice in baked goods. Go grab yourself some of these babies!

And here’s my favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, while you’re at it.