Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

I made this for our weekly Bible Study breakfast dish and I must say people really liked it. Best thing about it is it is low calorie. My friend got this 400 calorie or less cookbook and it actually has some really good recipes in it. I photocopied a few that sounded particularly promising and this happened to be one.

I'm not  usually a biscotti fan, mainly because of the awkward crunchy mess you get while eating them, but that's the best part about making your own: you can make it a crunchy or smooshy as you like! I make it sound like mine were soggy on purpose, but either way they tasted good. Mine probably could have stayed in the oven a smidge longer for the first part to crisp up a bit, but it doesn't change the taste at all, so who cares?

• 1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1.2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2/3 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp coarse salt
• 2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp water
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts
• 1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk the flours, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and brown sugar in a medium bowl.

Lightly beat the eggs in a small bowl. Measure out 1 Tbsp of beaten egg and set aside in a separate bowl. Whisk the water and vanilla into the remaining eggs. Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until blended, about 2 minutes. The dough should be somewhat stiff and sticky.

Shape the dough into a single log (4 in. wide by 12 in. long by 1 in. high) on the baking sheet. Gently press the hazelnuts into the top of the dough. Brush the reserved 1 Tbsp egg over the top and sides of the log. Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is firm to the touch. Remove the cookie log and let cool for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Transfer the cooled cookie log to a cutting board. Using a sharp serrated (bread) knife, cut the log cross-wise into 20 biscotti, about 1/2 in. wide. Place the cookies on the baking sheet (it's ok if they are touching), bake for 12-15 minutes, or until crisp. Let the cookies cool completely.

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwaveable bowl, first for 1 minute on high and then at 12 second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth and fully melted. Dip a fork into the melted chocolate and drizzle it over the biscotti (you may have to reheat the chocolate if it thickens too much to drizzle). Let the biscotti sit until the chocolate cools and hardens, then store in an airtight container.

Prep Time: 25 min
Total Time: 1 hr, 30 min
Serves 10

Recipe from 400 Calorie Fix Cookbook by Liz Vaccariello