Dark Chocolate Biscotti

Dark Chocolate Biscotti

There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea. --Henry James

Henry James was talking about English tea with scones and clotted cream, finger sandwiches and sometimes much more. I'm a tea drinker and spent time in Italy when I was younger, so I think there's nothing better than a biscotti with my afternoon (or morning) tea. Here are two great recipes for Dark Chocolate Biscotti. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup butter, softened
about 12 ounces of good dark chocolate, melted
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla (I use real vanilla--Madagascar vanilla is great)
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup finely chopped hazelnuts or almonds

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F
Combine sugar and butter in large bowl; beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed; add 2 cups melted chocolate chocolate, eggs and vanilla; continue beating until well mixed.
Reduce speed to low; add flour, baking powder and salt; beat until well mixed; stir in nuts by hand.
Divide dough into three equal pieces. Shape each 1/3 into a 12 " long roll.
Place rolls 5 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet (you'll probably need 2 cookie sheets); flatten each roll to 2-inch width; bake for 25 minutes or until set.
Cool on cookie sheet 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 300°F; Cut rolls diagonally into 1/2-inch slices with serrated knife.
Place on cookie sheet, cut-side down; bake for 10 minutes; turn slices; continue baking for 12 to 15 minutes or until dry and crisp; cool completely.

I also found a recipe on Eggs on Sunday which is an adaptation of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from My Home to Yours biscotti recipe. Amy gives some tips for making these biscotti that also work with the recipe above. #1 She whisks all the dry ingredients together rather than sifting to break up lumps. She then creams together the butter and sugar for 2 minutes. (Butter should be room temperature).

Check out her Step-by-Step: My Favorite Chocolate Biscotti for helpful tips and great photos.

For me the best tip: Thanks, Amy. Since you're going to bake the logs whole and then cut them into individual biscotti, score the logs about halfway down before putting them in to bake! It makes it a lot easier and with much less cracking. Use this tip with the biscotti recipe above, too!

I've changed a few things in this recipe, too

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I like a high grade dark cocoa)
2 tbsp instant coffee or instant espresso powder (ok, this is something I don't have hanging about. Not sure you do, but you can buy this especially for this recipe)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped nuts --either hazel nuts or walnuts.
4 oz dark chocolate (over 70% organic/fair trade), coarsely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat.
Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, coffee powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
With a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar on medium speed about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the eggs and vanilla; beat for another 2 minutes. Decrease the speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until a dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the chopped nuts and chocolate.

Although you can add dried fruit at this point, too, I wouldn't. Guess just having the nuts is enough for me.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead a few times to pull the dough together into a ball. Divide into two portions; shape each portion into a 12 x 2 inch log. Place each log on the baking sheet. At this point, score the log with a knife where you plan to cut it into biscotti this helps to cut it later without it cracking. Bake for 25 minutes.

Remove the sheet from the oven and let it cool on a rack for 20 minutes. Then, slice the logs diagonally into 3/4-inch thick slices and leave the slices standing up on the baking sheet. Return to the oven for another 15 minutes of baking. (notice this is a different technique than the recipe above. If the slices are thinner, they won't stand up)

Transfer biscotti to a rack to cool.

Oreo Cheesecake

I follow lots of bakers, foodies, cooks and chefs on Twitter. Yesterday a link struck my fancy. I was at Food & Fizz, a great site for "food porn" with links to the blogs and websites. Food porn is not what you're thinking. Food porn refers to great photos of food.

The first photo on Food & Fizz was for an Oreo Cheesecake. Clicking the link I went to Stick to Your Hips. Now that's a very apt name for this blog. I spent some time on this site, but I was really impressed by my first click: the Oreo Cheesecake. Great and easy recipe. Good comments about cheesecake, in general. I love a good cheesecake, and I can't wait to make this one!

There was no email link for this blogger, so I wasn't able to ask permission to use the recipe and photo. I tried to post a comment, but it wouldn't post. Maybe it's Blogger, maybe it's me. Anyway, here's the link to: Oreo Cheesecake. You won't be sorry. Unless, of course, it Sticks to Your Hips!

Photo copyright: Sticks to Your Hips

Ghirardelli Chocolate Festival

It's such a delight to know that there are so many Chocolate Festivals held around the world. I will do a round-up one of these days, but in the meantime, I thought I'd mention a San Francisco treat: Ghirardelli Chocolate. Chocolate is the real treat--forget Rice-a-Roni. I don't know anyone in San Francisco who makes it or ever has. Ghirardelli Chocolate has its roots in San Francisco. As America's longest continuously operating chocolate manufacturer, Ghirardelli has established its position as one of America's premium chocolate company for more than 150 years.

The 14th Annual Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival, benefiting Project Open Hand, will take place September 12 and 13, 2009, from noon to 5 p.m. This will be a weekend chocolate celebration featuring renowned chocolatiers, artisans and chefs showcasing countless chocolate delicacies and decadent desserts. The Festival is free with a minimal charge for tastings.

A few details:

• Bravo TV’s Season 3 Top Chef finalist Casey Thompson will lead the ever-popular cooking demonstrations. Chef Demonstrations will take place in Ghirardelli Square’s West Plaza. Casey will be on stage at 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For a schedule of other chef demos visit www.GhirardelliSQ.com.

• Other fun activities are planned throughout the weekend, such as the Cadillac Ride & Drive. Cadillac will be displaying their luxury vehicles in the Square and offering visitors an opportunity to test-drive the All-New 2010 SRX. Each Visitor that participate in the Cadillac Ride & Drive will get to build their own mini Ghirardelli ice cream sundae after their test drive, while supplies last.

• Crown & Crumpet’s Tea Party includes a tea and chocolate pairing on Saturday and Sunday at 3 p.m., highlighting three types of chocolate tea paired with food items such as chocolate chip scones, tea-infused truffles and chocolate-hazelnut tea sandwiches for just $12.

• The inaugural debut of Gourmet Fudge Infusions, created through a joint partnership between The Cookie Tree & Bella’s Fudge. The new Gourmet Fudge Infusions use Ghirardelli Chocolate in their products and will be launched at the Ghirardelli Square Chocolate festival. Attendees will have the first chance to taste the delicious treats.

• More than 40 delicious chocolate vendors!

All proceeds generated during the festival will go to Project Open Hand, a San Francisco non-profit organization that provides meals and groceries to senior citizens and seriously and critically ill individuals. Over the past 13 years, the Ghirardelli Square Chocolate Festival has raised a total of more than $500,000 for Project Open Hand.

“Ghirardelli Square has a long-standing commitment to the community and this year has been especially difficult for non-profits including Project Open Hand. The Annual Chocolate Festival is just one of the ways in which we can support the local community as well as provide residents and visitors with an opportunity to enjoy the recently revitalized Square and all of its great new shops,” said Lindsay Maxon, Ghirardelli Square’s marketing and events manager. “We’re delighted to host so many talented Bay Area chocolate artisans and chefs and feel fortunate that everyone is working together towards another successful year of raising money for Project Open Hand.”

Philly: The Chocolate City

Who knew that Philadelphia was a Chocolate City? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Once I left Philly, the town obviously developed into a full-fledged foodie mecca. I, of course, left for California, and Berkeley, specifically, the epicenter of the modern food movement.

My memories of Philadelphia chocolate were of Hershey's, of course, and we visited the factory many times. O.K. Hershey, PA, is not in Philadelphia. Then there was Whitman's! I loved Whitman Samplers, especially since there was a 'map' in the top of the box that showed you which candies were where (unless of course your sister moved them!). I loved the Fudge on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, but I don't remember too many actual chocolate shops, but then I was a kid. I was big on penny candy, and most of that was not chocolate. Limited budget, limited allowance.

So, I was thrilled when Twitter Buddy Janice Bashman (yes, my mystery and chocolate worlds collide again) sent me a link to an article on Chocolate City in today's Philly.com. Lots of wonderful info on indie chocolate makers and an industry that is still booming despite the economic downturn.

Read the article Chocolate City, here.

Italian Thick Hot Chocolate from Max Brenner from the Chocolate City Article.

Makes 6 to 8 servings

For the vanilla cream:

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 1/2 cups milk, divided

1/2 cup sugar

2 large egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the hot chocolate:

1 cup of milk

7 ounces semisweet chocolate (2 chocolate bars)

1. Sprinkle the cornstarch over 1/2 cup of the milk in a small bowl and whisk to dissolve. Add the sugar and egg yolks and whisk well.

2. Bring the remaining 2 cups of the milk and the vanilla bean just to a simmer in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan over low heat. Remove the bean, scrape the vanilla seeds into the milk, and discard the bean. Gradually whisk the egg yolk mixture into the milk.

3. Cook, whisking often, until the sauce comes to a boil, about 3 minutes. If using vanilla extract, stir it in now. Strain through a wire sieve into a bowl.

4. After the vanilla cream is prepared, combine it with the chopped chocolate chunks and a cup of milk, brought just to a boil. Mix until smooth.

Note: Any flavor can be added - raspberry, cinnamon, holiday ginger spice, marshmallows. You can substitute milk or white chocolate for the semisweet chocolate.