In my day job, I work as a resident physician in a trauma hospital in Bronx. It’s rewarding, it’s messy, it’s a lot of things. There’s things you expect and things you don’t. And nestled away, in the chaos of the borough, there is a neighborhood called Little Italy. No no, not the overly hyped, ridiculously expensive Manhattan attempt of Italy. This is the true Little Italy. It’s bursting with character, people who have put their time and sweat into their shops over the years, and have adorned it with all the delights you normally can’t find outside of Italy. Fresh Italian coffees, homemade pastas, imported goods straight from the motherland. For me, however, it’s the bakeries that steal the show. They make pizza dough, tiramisu, cookies, absolutely amazing olive bread- but the crown jewel: biscottis.
There’s one particular bakery that most people are told to stop by before they leave. They sell all the traditional treats, and I was already a frequent flyer there by my first month working. And yet, it wasn’t until about a year and a half in that I found out about their biscottis. I grabbed a random collection to take home: almond biscottis, plain biscottis, and pistachio chocolate biscottis. Little did I know that my family was about to become addicted to these little treats. Every week they asked me if I was going to stop by and bring some home.
I ended up taking many weekly trips to the shop- but then decided it was time to take matters into my own hands and recreate these from scratch. Armed with fresh pistachios, rich dark chocolate, and a dash of Italian inspiration, I set to work in my own kitchen and developed this recipe right here. Inspired by Little Italy and approved by family, here is the magic biscotti recipe for you to bake yourself. And here’s to the joy of recreating cherished flavors at home, allowing us to savor the taste of Italy wherever life may take us. Mangia bene, vivi felice – eat well, live happy.
Pistachio Chocolate Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1 cup shelled pistachios, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, cream together the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and almond extract.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Fold in the chopped pistachios and dark chocolate chips.
- Divide the dough in half. On the prepared baking sheet, shape each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, leaving space between the logs. Use flour to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and surfaces.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the logs are set and lightly golden.
- Remove the logs from the oven and let them cool for about 10-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the logs diagonally into 1/2-inch slices. Place the slices back on the baking sheet, cut side down.
- Bake the sliced biscotti for an additional 10 minutes, or until they are toasted golden. Then flip them to their other side and bake for additional 5 minutes until they are firm and crunchy.
- Allow the pistachio chocolate biscotti to cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
