Deliciously light and crunchy this Chocolate Dipped Chai Biscotti is filled with warm spices and studded with chocolate chips. These biscotti have a long shelf life, so bake up a big batch for an anytime treat, sharing as gifts or take along as travel snacks!
While Traditional Italian Biscotti is made without butter or oil it has a more denser texture.
My recipe includes softened butter which is whipped with the sugar creating a crunchy texture without being too hard. With the addition of chai spices and chocolate chips, the biscotti is baked twice for that signature crunch.
Munchable and dunkable, lets whip up a batch for your cookie jar or to share as a delicious homemade gift.
How to make Chocolate Dipped Chai Biscotti
NOTE: Visual guide only - full recipe with ingredient amounts and instructions at the end of this post
This is just a visual guide, so you can see the process. When you are baking, you will need to refer to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Make the dough
- Beat butter sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a bowl.
- Whisk in the eggs and baking powder
- Fold flour, ground cinnamon, all spice (mixed spice) and cardamom (if using) into the mixture
- Divide the dough in half
Shape the dough
- Shape it into two 10" x 5" (25 x 5 cm) logs, about ¾" (2 cm) tall. Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides (a wet spatula is helpful to get a neat smooth top).
- Place the shaped dough in the oven.
Bake
- Bake the dough logs for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven.
- Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ¾" (2cm) slices.
- Place them back on the baking sheet with a cut side up.
- Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 10 minutes, then flip the slices over (so that the underside crisps and dries as well) and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until they feel dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel soft in the center, but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.
Dip in melted chocolate
Dip one end of the baked and cooled Biscotti in melted chocolate. Leave the bto dry for a few minutes on a sheet of parchment paper before storing.
Tips for making Biscotti
- This recipe makes about 24 medium sized biscotti. You can double the recipe to make more biscotti.
- Don't over knead. Gently form into a dough.
- Remember that this dough is meant to be sticky. Don't add more flour.
- Allow room for spreading otherwise the logs will stick together
- Be sure to let the baked biscotti logs cool for about 5 minutes before slicing- Remember that the biscotti should still be warm when slicing for the second bake.This prevents your baked biscotti from crumbling.
- Reduce the oven temperature (see recipe card below for temperature) for the second bake
- Bake the sliced cookies longer if you want them more crunchy, and for a shorter time if you want them softer. They'll still feel a soft in the center, but they'll continue to crisp as they cool.
Frequently asked questions
This second bake ensures that all the moisture is drawn out of the biscotti resulting in that perfect crunch and golden color
Use a long serrated knife, to slice the biscotti. This kind of knife will allow you to slice neatly through the loaves without putting any pressure on them.
At room temperature: in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
To freeze: Biscotti can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Defrosting your frozen biscotti is very easy. Just take them out of the freezer and wait for them to warm to room temperature. Very important however, when defrosting is to take them out of the container in which they were frozen. Or else condensation will form inside the container as the biscotti defrosts, resulting in a soggy texture.
Absolutely! Freezing and defrosting can change the crunch in biscotti,. They might end up a little softer than you’d like after you’ve defrosted them. Or, if you live in a humid environment, your biscotti might lose their crunch. The good news - it's incredibly easy to restore that delicious texture in your oven.
Just follow these steps:
Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C) 100°C fan.Place biscotti on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they’re standing up so that both sides are exposed, for equal heat and crunch.
Once the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet inside. Turn off the oven, and leave the biscotti in there until the oven has cooled down slightly This should restore the crunchy texture of your biscotti.
Enjoy ♥
If you like this recipe, be sure to check out my other amazing cookie and slice recipes
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Chocolate Dipped Chai Biscotti
Ingredients
For the dough
- 6 Tablespoons butter (salted or unsalted)
- ⅔ cup white granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon vanilla Extract
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups All-Purpose Flour OR cake flour
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon allspice (mixed spice)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom optional
For the dip or drizzle
- 8 ounces dark or milk chocolate coarsely chopped
Instructions
Make the dough
- Beat butter sugar, salt and vanilla extract in a bowl.
- Whisk in the eggs and baking powder
- Fold flour, ground cinnamon, all spice (mixed spice) and cardamom (if using) into the mixture
- Divide the dough in half
Shape the dough
- Place both dough halves onto a baking sheet lined with parchment (baking paper)
- Shape each half into 10" x 5" (25 x 5 cm) logs, about ¾" (2 cm) tall.
- Allow room for spreading otherwise the logs will stick together
- Straighten the logs, and smooth their tops and sides (a wet spatula is helpful to get a neat smooth top).
First bake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Position shelf in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for 25 minutes
- Remove the baked dough logs from the oven.
Reduce oven temperature
- Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F (140°C fan).
Slice the baked logs
- Wait 5 minutes, then use a sharp knife or serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into ¾" (2cm) slices.
- Place them back on the baking sheet with a cut side up.
Second bake
- Return the sliced biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 10 minutes, then flip the slices over (so that the underside crisps and dries as well)
- Bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until they feel dry and are beginning to turn golden. They'll still feel soft in the center, but they'll continue to dry out as they cool.
Melt the chocolate
- Ensure that your utensils and cutlery are dry before melting the chocolate
- Wet cutlery and utensils will cause the melted chocolate to seize and become unusable
- Melt the chocolate in a dry medium bowl in the microwave (or use a double boiler).
- The key to melting chocolate in the microwave is to do it in small bursts and stir frequently.
- Melt in 15 second increments, stirring vigorously with a completely dry spoon after each increment, until completely melted and smooth.
Dip baked biscotti slices in chocolate
- Dip one end of the baked and cooled Biscotti in the melted chocolate. Leave to dry for a few minutes on a sheet of parchment paper before storing.
Storing
- At room temperature: in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
- To freeze: Biscotti can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Preheat your oven to 250°F (120°C) 100°C fan.
- Place biscotti on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they’re standing up so that both sides are exposed, for equal heat and crunch.
- Once the oven is preheated, place the baking sheet inside.
- Turn off the oven, and leave the biscotti in there until the oven has cooled down slightly. This should restore the crunchy texture of your biscotti.
