Chocolate-hazelnut biscotti

I've discovered that biscotti is a great thing to make and keep around the house.  I prefer the traditional kind, made without butter.  And being by definition, twice-baked, they are crunchy and dry, and stay that way for a good couple of weeks stashed in an airtight jar.

Serve biscotti with or as dessert (we had it one night with coffee and a generous scoop of gelato to continue the Italian theme).  They make a great afternoon nibble, a natural accompaniment to a cup of coffee, espresso, or tea any time of the day.  For those who don't like their biscotti too hard and crunchy (I think that's the best part), you can bake them for a slightly shorter time and there's always the option of dunking them in your hot drink, where they soften up instantly.

This batch of chocolate-hazelnut biscotti came about on a whim.  I hate to waste and as I was looking at my pantry shelf, I knew I had to do something about this small box of hazelnuts I had sitting there, taunting me with one of those impending "best by" dates.  I considered making a batch of cookies but then thought of using them in biscotti.  I generally prefer "plain" biscotti but the richness of the hazelnuts stand up well against the dark cocoa flavor of these.

I've made two kinds of biscotti before this: almond and pistachio with orange zest.  These offer a darker flavor and I think the hazelnuts really cut across the dark cocoa very well.  I used this recipe but made a few changes.  I'm not sure this is something to brag about but in an exercise in restraint, there's no actual chocolate in these biscotti, only cocoa powder.  I omitted the chocolate chips from the recipe in order to keep it on the light and lean side, which is how I think of biscotti.  However, I bet biting into studs of chocolate would add another level of deliciousness...

I also opted to forgo a glaze (actually, the first time I'd heard of a glaze for biscotti).  Before the first bake in the oven, you could brush the top of the logs a beaten egg and sprinkle coarse sugar over it.  I don't really see the need for that here.  Given how crunchy and flavorful these are already, I don't think the extra sugar on top would add much more to them. 

I love how I can get a nice little chocolate kick from these biscotti without eating something too rich or sweet.  And if you enjoy hazelnuts, their flavor really pops in these biscotti.