Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti are the perfect accompaniment to a large mug of coffee or hot chocolate!
These crunchy, chocolate chunk loaded-espresso spiked twice baked Italian biscuits make a lovely homemade gift. But I wouldn’t blame you at all if you didn’t want to part with them!
I got into baking biscotti years ago when my eldest kids were very little. It was something I wanted to try for a long time and I almost became addicted to trying new variations and flavours.
This particular chocolate, hazelnut and cherry studded biscotti has been hiding in the archives of my site since way back in the days I started blogging, so I thought it was time to give the recipe the attention it deserves!
These crunchy Italian twice baked biscuits are easy to make and are pretty adaptable – if you don’t like a certain ingredient, you can simply swap it for something similar.
I really like the dried cherries in this recipe but you can swap them for dried cranberries if you prefer – very appropriate for this time of year.
The espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavour, but you don’t have to add it if you aren’t a coffee fan.
If you aren’t keen on hazelnuts, you can swap them for an equal amount of whole almonds, pecan nuts, pistachios or walnuts.
what does biscotti taste like?
Biscotti is a crunchy, hard biscuit that are perfect for dunking into coffee, tea, hot chocolate or even Liqueur. In fact I can tell you from first hand experience that this chocolate biscotti is absolutely divine with a glass of coffee Liqueur!
This biscotti has a double hit of chocolate in the form of cocoa powder and dark chocolate chunks.
A batch of these chocolate biscotti with a bag of really good coffee or a tub of posh hot chocolate would make such a lovely gift for a chocolate fan. Home made gifts are always well received and in my mind, beats the obligatory bottle of wine anyday!
how can you tell when biscotti is done?
Since this is a chocolate dough, it can be a little tricky to tell when the biscotti is ready. After the first bake, the biscotti should be quite firm and not sticky at all.
However, it’s ok if the biscotti is a little bit soft in the middle – it will firm up after you remove it from the oven and the second bake to crisp it up should help.
how long will biscotti last?
This biscotti will last for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container or tin. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
more biscuit and cookie recipes that would make lovely gifts
Soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies
White chocolate Macadamia nut cookies
Stilton and Walnut Star Biscuits
White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies
did you make this chocolate cherry hazelnut biscotti recipe?
Let me know what you thought of the recipe by leaving a comment below and rate the recipe out of five by clicking on the stars in the recipe card.
If you share a photo of your biscotti on Instagram, don’t forget to tag me #sweetsavouryblog so I can see it!
Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti
These Chocolate Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti are the perfect accompaniment to a large mug of coffee or hot chocolate! Crunchy, chocolate chunk loaded, espresso spiked twice baked Italian biscuits that make a lovely homemade gift.
Ingredients
- 300g plain flour
- 75g best quality cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons espresso powder (or 1 tablespoon if you want a less pronounced coffee taste)
- 3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 75g soft butter
- 200g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g dried cherries
- 150g hazelnuts, roughly chopped
- 100g dark chocolate chunks
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas Mark 2. Line two large baking sheets with parchment.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar together for a couple of minutes then slowly add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract and mix until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the sifted dry ingredients, mixing until a soft dough forms. Stir in the dried cherries, hazelnuts and chocolate chunks.
- Divide the dough in half. Working with one log at a time, roll the dough into 12 inch long logs. Flatten the logs into a rectangle with the palm of your hand (or use a rolling pin) so they are 1/2- 1 inch thick. Transfer to the lined baking trays.
- .Bake the logs for about 25-30 minutes or until they are slightly firm. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 20 minutes. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the logs into slices. Return to the oven and bake for a further 10-15 minutes until they are firm. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 305Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 124mgCarbohydrates: 43gFiber: 3gSugar: 22gProtein: 6g
Calories and Nutritional information are provided by a third party application and should be viewed as indicative figures only.
These look devine!!!
Thank you!
I’ve never baked biscotti – these choccy ones look ace
They are a big favourite here! ☺