Double Chocolate Biscotti

It is finally that time of year where the weather forecaster has started to use the dreaded four letter word: snow. I can enjoy the winter just as well as the next gal, but for me the key component to snuggling down in cold weather is a cup of steaming cocoa. And what goes better with that steamy drink that a delicious double chocolate biscotti?



True to the balance between taste and health that is the core of the Skinny Gourmet approach to food, these biscotti strike a balance. One delicious, crunchy, satisfying biscotti has only 70 calories and 1 gram of fat! I will be the first to admit that when I first encountered this recipe I was very skeptical that such a balance could be struck in the domain of buttery biscotti. I am pleased to report I have made these several times and they delight me. Relatively low in fat and calories, these chocolatey biscotti are great for a morning snack with your coffee, or to wind down with cocoa in the evening. One piece of fair warning: these are a decidedly solid biscotti with a firm crumb that is more true to the classical heritage of biscotti (dried biscuits carried on the march by Roman soldiers). This makes them perfect for dipping. I also enjoy them by themselves, undipped, for a quick satisfying snack that also tickles the sweet tooth. But it may be that some people accustomed to very high fat buttery biscotti will find them too firm.





Find the original recipe on spark recipes.

Skinny Gourmet notes:

• Time: For those who are intimidated by biscotti making, please give these a try. For years I thought surely biscotti must be too difficult to make, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it really wasn't time consuming or difficult at all.
• Quantity: One thing I liked about this recipe was that it only makes a moderate amount of biscotti, about the amount that is right for a house of 2-4 people to eat over the course of a week before they go stale. I don't like to work with recipes that produce prodigious amounts of something that I can't go through and have to give away, freeze, or throw away.
• Substitutions: I have made this recipe with either whole wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose and found that both worked well. I did not have orange flavored honey, so I used regular clover honey and found it perfect. Instead of semi-sweet, I prefer to use Ghirardelli 70% cocoa dark chocolate chips. You get a lot of flavor out of the chocolate chips in this recipe, so don't skimp on quality. If you are looking for more of an indulgence, increase the quantity of them to 3 Tbsp total.

You might also enjoy my recipe for Orange Anise Biscotti with White Chocolate.

Nutritional information per serving (16 servings)