Hazelnut Mexican Chocolate Biscotti

Ingredients

For the Biscotti

1-2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour

¾ cup hazelnut meal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

½ cup honey

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1.5 ounces (½ round tablet) Mexican chocolate (I use Ibarra), coarsely chopped

½ cup chopped walnuts

½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the Drizzle (optional)

3 ounces (1 round tablet) Mexican chocolate, Ibarra or the like

2 tablespoons coconut milk or cream

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and prepare a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

In a mixing bowl or mixer, combine the eggs and vanilla extract. Mix until combined. Add in the whole wheat pastry flour, hazelnut meal, salt, baking powder and cinnamon. Mix just until ingredients are combined. Add the honey, chocolate and walnuts and fold into the dough.

Turn the dough out onto the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Using your hands, mold the dough into a loaf (about 12” long and 2.5” high). Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes until the edges are golden brown.

Place the dough loaf on a wire rack and allow it to cool for 10 minutes. Place it on a cutting board and cut strips (biscotti) about ¾” thick. Wait! You’re not done yet!

Place the biscotti on their side on the cookie sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and carefully flip the biscotti to the other side, bake 10 more minutes.

While the biscotti are in the oven, prepare your Mexican chocolate drizzle. Fill a saucepan with hot water and bring to a boil. Place the chocolate with the coconut milk/cream in a smaller saucepan and place the smaller saucepan over the boiling water. Gently heat the chocolate, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes. Once the chocolate is melted, allow it to cool slightly then pour it in a plastic sandwich bag. Cut a small hole at one of the corners of the bag and squeeze the chocolate onto the biscotti. Make cool designs.

Allow the chocolate to cool and harden onto the biscotti then consume voraciously with a cup of steamy joe.