Chocolate filled and chocolate dipped biscotti sounds perfect for a morning treat, am I right?

What I love about these is their crunchy texture, making them perfect for dunking in my morning tea or coffee and I’m a dunker from way back.

Chocolate biscotti lined up on a serving board.

Table of contents

What is biscotti?

Biscotti is actually the Italian word for biscuit. While many parts of the English-speaking world simply call them biscotti cookies, their correct name is actually cantucci (from the Latin word cantellus which means slice – hinting to the way they are made).

Biscotti / cantucci are an Italian twice-baked, crunchy biscuit perfect for dunking in a warm cuppa. They come in many flavours from lemon to coffee to these chocolate biscotti.

My chocolate version of these Italian cookies are baked with real chocolate and cocoa in the mix making them a double chocolate biscotti dream. They’re then drizzled with a little melted chocolate over the ends and topped with a sprinkling of chopped pistachios. Give me a “triple chocolate”!!!!

Are biscotti supposed to be hard?

Biscotti should be dry, crunchy and crumbly but not technically hard. You shouldn’t feel like you’re going to break a tooth eating biscotti. They’re traditionally served with a hot cup of coffee or a glass of Vinsanto at the end of a meal and aren’t normally dunked as their crunchy nature is what is loved about them.

A chocolate biscotti sitting on a cup of coffee.

How to make pistachio chocolate biscotti

I make this biscotti using a food processor to keep it super simple.

Detailed quantities and instructions in the recipe card below.

  1. Start by placing the dry ingredients including some chocolate chips into a food processor and blitz until it’s like fine crumbs.
  2. Next add the egg and a dash of vanilla (it actually brings out the chocolate flavour).
  3. Turn the dough out on a surface dusted lightly with cocoa and knead it just enough to pull it together into a disk.
  4. Cut it in two and shape it into 2 logs about 18x10cm (7×4 inches) then bake them for 30 minutes.
  5. Let the chocolate logs cool for about 5 minutes before slicing it (see my tips on how to cut biscotti below).
  6. Sit the fingers on their edges about 1 inch apart back on the baking tray and bake them for 10 minutes more. They will still be just slightly soft in the middle but will firm up as they cool.
  7. Once cool, drizzle the ends with melted chocolate and scatter over some pistachios.

No food processor? If you don’t have a food processor, you can make this in the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a large mixing bowl with a good electric mixer. You’ll need to melt the ¼ cup of chocolate first and let it cool a bit before adding it to the mixture. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl down as required and only beat on medium speed.

A row of 8 pieces of chocolate biscotti.

How to cut biscotti without breaking it

Biscotti is twice-baked – first as a log of dough, then a second bake after you’ve cut it into individual fingers.

The best way to cut it after that first bake is to score it all across the top with a serrated knife then cut through with a sharp chefs knife. This trick gets me perfect slices every time.

How long does this biscotti last?

Due to it’s very nature of being a dry biscuit, biscotti will keep very well for 10-14 days in an airtight container, in a cool place. Biscotti makes a great food gift as it’s so long lasting. Store it in an airtight container in the pantry.

Substitutions

You could try changing up your chocolate biscotti with pistachios with flavours like this;

A pile of chocolate biscotti with pieces of pistachio.

This pistachio chocolate biscotti recipe is too good not to try. Chocolatey, nutty and perfect to serve with a coffee when friends come around. Quick, easy and it even makes perfect food gifts.

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A row of 8 pieces of chocolate biscotti.

Chocolate Biscotti with Pistachios

Yield: 30 cookies
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
0 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
4.7 from 6 ratings
This Pistachio Chocolate Biscotti recipe is not only simple to make but it’s also incredibly tasty. Filled with pistachios and real chocolate baked into these crunchy biscuits, this is the perfect treat with your morning cuppa.
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Ingredients

  • 225 g plain flour (all purp flour) (1 ¾ cups)
  • 1 cup white granulated sugar (200g / 7oz)
  • 50 g dutch-processed cocoa powder (½ cup)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup dark chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips) (170g / 6oz)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ⅔ cup pistachios, roughly chopped

For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F / 160C fan forced. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
  • Dry ingredients: Place the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, salt and ¼ cup of finely chopped chocolate in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it looks like crumbs.
  • Add wet ingredients: Add the eggs and vanilla to the flour mixture and pulse until it starts to clump.
  • Tip the dough out onto a surface dusted with cocoa. Work half the pistachios through without kneading it too much but just enough to pull it together into a disk.
  • Divide the dough in two and flatten out to about 18cm x 10cm (7×4 inch). Transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes until dry on the outside.
  • Let the logs cool for 5 minutes before cutting them into 1cm thick pieces (notes).
  • Now stand the biscotti on their edges back on the same baking tray and bake for a further 10 minutes. They will look very dry but will still be the slightest bit soft.
  • Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
  • Once the biscotti has cooled to room temperature, melt the remaining chocolate chips in a small bowl over simmering water. Use a spoon or a squeeze bottle to drizzle the chocolate over, then sprinkle with the remaining pistachios
  • Please take a moment to leave a comment & rating. It's appreciated and so helpful.

Notes

  1. For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
  2. Cocoa: I like to use dutch process cocoa for its dark colour and rich flavour, but you can also use unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe.
  3. Cutting the biscotti: Transfer the biscotti on a cutting board. The edges can be fragile so very carefully score the top with a serrated knife then slice through with a large chefs knife.
  4. Drizzling the chocolate: I like to use a squeeze bottle for this but you can also just use a spoon or even dip the ends into the chocolate (best to use a small but tall dish for this).
  5. Pistachios can be swapped for toasted almonds or hazelnuts.
  6. Storage: Store biscotti in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 2 weeks.
MORE COOKIE RECIPES
Calories: 106kcal
Author: Marie Roffey
Course: Afternoon Tea, Dessert, Morning Tea, Sweets
Cuisine: Italian
Have you tried this recipe?Don’t forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.
Nutrition Facts
Chocolate Biscotti with Pistachios
Amount Per Serving (29 g)
Calories 106 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Trans Fat 0.003g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 48mg2%
Potassium 120mg3%
Carbohydrates 16g5%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 8g9%
Protein 3g6%
Vitamin A 40IU1%
Vitamin C 0.2mg0%
Calcium 21mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.