Chocolate-Rosemary Biscotti

Plate of Biscotti

By Cat, November 2016 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

I love biscotti, and I also love mixing herbs into sweet treats, so this really appeals to me. The recipe may sound difficult, but they are really easy to make, once you get the prepping completed.

Dark chocolate is a very healthful ingredient, but it should be at least 70% cacao mass. I prefer to use Belgian chocolate, but you can use dark chocolate chips as in original recipe.

See also: 1. Cookies Menu; 2. Individual Herbs & Spices, G – Z ; 3. Bittersweet Chocolate Biscotti; 4. Chocolate (about)

Chocolate-Rosemary Biscotti

This recipe is adapted form article in Nov 16, 2016 Daily Inter Lake (originally by Melissa D’Arabian of the Associated Press (1)).

The original calls for dark chocolate chips, chopped finely. But I prefer to use Belgian dark chocolate (comes in a bar). I’ve also made a few other changes, per my preferences, but I’ve not yet tried my adaptation.

Ordinarily I would presoak the whole grain flour before mixing dough, but biscotti recipes do not include sufficient liquid that could be used for the presoak. Another alternative would be to use sprouted whole grain flour, but it can be hard to come by unless you sprout then dry it yourself before grinding.

If using spelt flour, you may need less sweetener as it is a sweeter flour than wheat. You may also need more flour, if dough is too soft (see Spelt vs Wheat in Baked Goods for more).

NOTE about stevia: I’ve not adapted this to use stevia, as I believe sugar is essential for the texture. However, it could be possible to use a mix of sugar and stevia (powdered extract), perhaps ¼ cup sugar and ⅛ tsp powdered stevia extract. I recommend dissolving the stevia in the vanilla before mixing into dough, rather than adding it with the sugar. See Almond-Anise Biscotti, with Chocolate Variations for example of using stevia.

Ingredients & Equipment

• Prep:
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips or chopped Belgian chocolate
• 2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely minced
• 1 tsp finely grated orange zest
• ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted (preferably presoaked or sprouted before toasting)
• Flour mixture:
• 1 cup Organic red or white whole wheat flour or whole spelt flour
• ½ cup Organic unbleached white flour (wheat or spelt)
• ¼ tsp unrefined sea salt (the original recipe uses Kosher salt)
• 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• Butter mixture:
• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened but not melted (do NOT use margarine, vegetable spread, nor vegetable shortening)
• ½ cup Rapadura or white cane sugar (or, if you want to use stevia, see note above)
• 2 farm fresh eggs
• 1 tsp real vanilla extract (if using part stevia powder, dissolve it in the vanilla)
• Equipment:
• knife
• grater for zest,
• medium and large bowls
• wooden spoon or hand mixer or stand mixer (and use its bowl instead of separate large bowl)
• baking sheet
• baking parchment
• rubber spatula
• pastry brush
• cooling rack

Method:

1. Prep: If soaking or sprouting almonds, start 1 – 2 days ahead; then toast them. Otherwise just toast the nuts.
2. Chop chocolate chips/bar finely; mince rosemary finely (snip with scissors if difficult to do with knife); grate orange zest
3. Day of baking: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet(s) with parchment.
4. Flour mixture: sift all ingredients together into a medium bowl.
5. Allow eggs to come to room temperature.
6. Mix dough: Cream butter and sugar until light in color, fluffy and creamy.
7. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each one.
8. Add vanilla, zest and rosemary, then mix until incorported.
9. Add half of flour mixture, mixing until incorporated, then repeat with other half.
10. Fold in dark chocolate and almonds with rubber spatula.
11. Shape dough: Lightly flour working surface; divide dough into two logs, each about 14″ long. Then transfer to prepped baking sheet.
12. Lightly press each log to flatten a bit – to make a rounded strip about 15″ long by 2 ½” wide Remove excess flour with clean pastry brush.
13. Bake: Bake logs until golden, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.
14. Meanwhile reduce oven temp to 300°F. When logs have cooled 10 minutes, transfer them to a cutting board, and cut each on the bias into 8 slices (16 slices total).
15. Place slices cut side down on the parchment-lined sheet, and continue to bake until cookies are golden and crisp, about 30 minutes more.
16. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
17. Store: Transfer to airtight container, to store for several days.

References: 

1. AP recipe (in the Missourian and many other papers): missoulian.com/lifestyles/make-these-chocolate-rosemary-biscotti-for-a-snack-or-a/article_2b760fe9-a194-5028-8f60-e52c4e881b76.amp.html