Biscotti with hot mocha dipping sauce
Choose from pistachio and cranberry, hazelnut and date or chocolate and orange biscotti (if you can). Perfect for dipping in a molten mocha sauce.
Ingredients
For the biscotti base
- 250g/9oz plain flour (280g/10oz plain flour, if making the chocolate biscotti)
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 250g/9oz caster sugar
- 3 free-range eggs, beaten
For variation 1: pistachio and cranberry biscotti
- 220g/8oz shelled and chopped pistachios
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú dried cranberries, chopped
- 1 lemon, zest only
For variation 2: hazelnut and date biscotti
For variation 3: chocolate and orange biscotti
- 50g/1¾oz melted dark chocolate, cooled to tepid temperature
- 25g/1oz chocolate chips
- 35g/1¼oz chopped almonds
- 1 orange, zest only
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
For the hot mocha dipping sauce
- 150g/5½oz good-quality dark chocolate
- 150ml/5fl oz double cream
- 100ml/3½fl oz espresso coffee
- 100g/3½oz small marshmallows
- 100ml/3½fl oz honey
Method
For the biscotti base, preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 (do not use the fan on your oven).
Mix together the flour, baking powder and sugar in a bowl and add the eggs slowly to make a dough.
For the pistachio and cranberry biscotti, add the nuts, cranberries and lemon zest at this point.
For the hazelnut and date biscotti add the nuts, dates and lemon zest at this point.
For the chocolate, almond and orange biscotti, add the tepid melted chocolate to the base dough and mix in thoroughly before adding the chocolate chips, almonds, orange zest, and vanilla essence.
Knead the mixture gently and then separate and roll into two logs. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
Cool slightly and cut into 1-2cm/½-¾in thick slices.
Return to the tray to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes, turn over and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden-brown.
For the mocha sauce, combine all ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and heat them gently, stirring constantly until all the marshmallows and chocolate have melted.
Serve the hot mocha sauce in a cup with the biscotti on the side to dunk in.
