How do you make biscotti better? You add Nutella.

Wanting to expand my baking repertoire and bring something Nutella-related to Thursday's wine night at Nicole's, I scoured the internet and landed on a Hazelnut Nutella Biscotti.

Nutella Biscotti (originally from The Art and Soul of Baking but found on Mermaid Sweets)

Ingredients

1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup Nutella spread at room temperature

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 ¾ cups unbleached-all purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup chopped skinned toasted hazelnuts

5 ounces good-quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼ inch chunks, or 1 cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of the stand mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth and slightly lightened in color, 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Add the Nutella spread and blend well. 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well (15-20 seconds) and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. 
5. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.
6. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix well.
7. Add the hazelnuts and chocolate chips or chunks, and mix on low just until blended. 
8. Remove the bowl from the mixer and stir gently a few times with the spatula to make sure the nuts and chips are evenly distributed and there are no patches of unincorporated flour or butter.
9. Divide the dough in half. On a work surface lightly dusted with flour, gently squeeze and roll each piece to shape into logs about 13 inches long. 
10. Line one baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the logs on the sheet about 4 inches apart. 
11. Press down on the logs, flattening them slightly until they are each about 2 inches across the top. 
12. Place the second baking sheet under the first (to prevent the bottoms of the logs from browning too quickly).
13. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until the logs are firm to the touch and lightly golden brown. 
14. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and let the logs cool completely. (If you attempt to slice them while warm, the chocolate will smear the cookies and look messy).
15. Turn the oven down to 275 degrees and position two racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven.
16. Carefully transfer the cookie logs to a cutting surface. Using a serrated knife, slice the logs on a slight diagonal into cookies 3/8 inch thick. 
17. Line the second baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the cookies, cut side down, on the parchment-lined sheets (you’ll need both sheets to hold all the cookies). 
18. Toast the cookies in the oven, 30 to 40 minutes, until dry and lightly tinged with color. Transfer to a cooling rack.

dough

pre-bake

post-bake 

second-bake

Notes for next time:

• Wait longer than you think necessary to cut them. Just because the exterior is cool does not mean the inside is.
• Approximately two/three pieces on either end will crumble when you cut them. But don't worry the middle is much sturdier and will cut just fine.
• When you bake them the second time, take them out based on gut instinct, not a precise time. I waited and waited for the time to pass, and lost a few because they were burnt. 

Let's hope they go over well. Happy Wednesday night.