These Double Chocolate Biscotti are destined to become your new favorite holiday cookie. Festive and flavorful, they are ideal for cookie swaps, party dessert platters and for gifting to all those chocoholics in your life.
I absolutely love giving homemade edible gifts at Christmastime, and biscotti really are perfect for gifting. Making them is quite easy and affordable. And since they keep so well (several weeks stored in an air-tight container and up to 3 months in the freezer), you can bake them ahead of time and avoid that last minute holiday stress.
While I will be making plenty of these delicious and oh-so-merry peppermint and chocolate versions, I also like to customize the biscotti to suit my recipients’ tastes.
Some of the unique Double Chocolate Biscotti topping variations include: rainbow sprinkles, mini butterscotch chips, Maldon sea salt flakes, mini marshmallows, and crushed candy bars. There is something for everyone on my holiday gift list this year.
What is Biscotti?
Biscotti originates from the Latin word biscoctus, which translates to “twice-cooked”. To make biscotti, the dough is shaped into a slab or log and then cooked twice: once in slab form, and then again after cutting the biscotti into individual slices.
The traditional Italian biscotti recipe is a basic flour, sugar and egg mixture containing pine nuts and almonds. But flavoring the biscotti dough has become more common. And coating the baked biscotti in a glaze (such as chocolate and white chocolate) and sprinkling with candies and other garnishes is also a popular preparation.
Since they are very dry, biscotti are often served with a drink for dunking. In the United States they are associated with coffee drinks, such as cappuccino and lattes. However, in Italy they are typically served as an after-dinner dessert with a fortified wine called vin santo.
Tips for Cutting Perfect Biscotti
- After the initial baking time, allow the biscotti slab to cool for 10 minutes before slicing to avoid having it crumble.
- Use a serrated knife (preferably a bread knife) in a sawing motion to cut nice smooth clean slices.
- To achieve long then slices, cut into the biscotti slab at an angle, rather than straight up and down.
Even More Holiday Cookie Recipes
Looking for even more Christmas Cookie recipes? Try my cute Christmas Pinwheel Cookies, these gorgeous Ombre Gingerbread Christmas Trees, and this recipe for Polar Bear Claws — a delicious copycat of the infamous See’s Candies treat.
- 8 tablespoons 1stick unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons coffee room temperature
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2/3 cup dark cocoa I used Hershey's Special Dark
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup chopped semisweet or bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Finely chopped peppermint candy canes optional
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper or lightly greased foil.
- In the bowl of your mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
- Add the eggs and room temperature coffee and beat for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients minus the chocolate chips.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter/egg mixture.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Shape dough into a 12 x 4 inch log and place on the prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let log cool on pan for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a cutting board.
- Using a serrated knife, cut loaf into 3/4 inch slices and place back on baking sheet, cut side down.
- Bake cookies again for 7 minutes then flip cookies over and bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Cool completely.
- To make the chocolate coating: Place the cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and for 1 minute.
- Add the chocolate chips and let sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Stir the mixture until the chocolate melts and the mixture becomes smooth. If there are chocolate pieces that haven't melted, return the bowl to the microwave for 10 second increments. Transfer chocolate to a tall cup.
- Dip biscotti halfway in the chocolate, and set on a parchment-lined (or waxed paper-lined) baking sheet to set.
- Sprinkle with crushed candy canes while the chocolate is still soft, if desired. Once the chocolate has set, store biscotti in an airtight container, to preserve their texture.
- Stored biscotti at room temperature for up to one week or wrap airtight and freeze.
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