Sometimes, you just need a little coffee. Other times, you just need a little coffee and a little sweet treat to go with it. These chocolate orange biscotti are for those times times you need a sweet treat.
The term ‘Biscotti’ translates to “twice-baked” in Italian. Biscotti are cooked twice so they become very dry and could be stored for long periods of time. This made them easy to travel with during long journeys and wars. Nowadays, the dry, hard cookies are perfect for dipping into coffee. Biscotti is now also a general term for any type of cookie in Italian.
I add chocolate and orange to flavor these cookies, but you could really add any of your favorite flavors instead. Ingredients like nuts, dried fruits, and white chocolate could be substituted for the chocolate and orange. Personally, I love the chocolate and orange combination. It may sound a bit strange, but the contradictory flavors really make these cookies something special. The acidity from the orange brings out the bitterness from the dark chocolate and…just…wow. *chef’s kiss*
Coconut sugar is used in this recipe, but if you don’t have it on hand, you could easily substitute regular cane sugar. Coconut sugar is often touted as a healthier alternative to regular cane sugar, but it’s still sugar at the end of the day.
Chocolate Orange Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/3 cup coconut sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 4 ounces of dark chocolate (1 dark chocolate bar)
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare the dark chocolate by breaking it into small pieces.
- In a large bowl, add the almond flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix until homogenous. In a small bowl, add eggs, coconut oil, and vanilla extract. Mix until homogenous.
- Add wet ingredients to dry. Mix to form a dough. Add orange zest and chocolate. Mix until well incorporated.
- On the prepared baking sheet, form a wide, flattened log out of the dough. It should be about 3/4″ tall, 4″ wide, and 7.5″ long.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Once the loaf is done, allow for it to cool for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until it is cooled to room temperature. This will allow it to firm. Once cooled, re-preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
- Use a sharp knife to carefully slice the loaf into individual biscotti, about 1/2 inch thick. Arrange biscotti into layers on the baking sheet. Be careful!! The biscotti with be fragile.
- Bake biscotti for another 10-15 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully flip each cookie onto the other side. Bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
- Allow biscotti to cool and enjoy with a cup of your favorite coffee or tea.