Merry Danamere: Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

These biscotti are really easy to make, which is a problem. For a recipe this simple, the biscotti are remarkably refined and flavorful. The fact that they’re easy to make means I make them all the time, which is great if you have people to give cookies to but bad when you live alone and can’t find any takers on short notice. It’s impossible to eat just one. I went through about 10 today so far. Thank goodness I was able to pass half the batch on to some enthusiastic friends, so crisis averted. This time..

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Adapted from marthastewart.com

Yields about 44

2 cups all-purpose flour, leveled
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup shelled salted pistachios (the original recipe calls for unsalted pistachios, but where's the fun in that?)
4 ounces dark chocolate chopped
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (ie 2, since I always pretty much double vanilla) teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ¾ of the sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir in pistachios and chocolate.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, butter, vanilla, and cocoa (oh man does this mixture smell good.)

3. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. The dough is really stiff, so knead it like you would bread dough until it’s fully mixed together.

4. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (NOT wax paper, I learned this the hard way. Wax paper works well enough without burning the dough, but the biscotti end up getting stuck to it and crumble when you try to remove them.) Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar. Divide dough in half and shape into two 2 ½-by-12-inch logs. Place logs on baking sheet and sprinkle the top of each with 1 tablespoon of sugar (per log.)

5. Bake until risen and firm, 15 to 20 minutes. Let logs cool completely on sheet, about 30 minutes.

6. Reduce oven to 300 degrees. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheets. Bake until biscotti are mostly dry, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.