Chocolate Chestnut Biscotti - Gluten-Free

The challenge I set for myself was to create a decadent gluten-free chocolate chestnut biscotti that was reminiscent of the ones I used to eat. Plus, I needed a recipe that didn't contain xanthan gum...which I have had to eliminate from my gluten free diet.

Back during the days when I could eat gluten, one of the things I really enjoyed was dipping crispy biscotti into a hot cup of coffee with cream. The flavors would melt in your mouth and the indulgence was divine. My husband and I would to go to a local coffee shop and indulge in coffee and biscotti while we sat outside and watch people go by.

Some of my local favorites came from Whole Foods. They sold a wonderful intense chocolate variety and an almond biscotti with the most heavenly aroma. The biscotti were divine. When I went shopping, I'd buy a small bag and let the kid's nibble on pieces while we went around the store.

Since becoming gluten free I've missed my little indulgences. There aren't many local places that sell baked goods that aren't made of wheat much less gluten free.

I've been working on a biscotti recipe that was crunchy and deliciously chocolate. They are softer when finished, however they will crisp up as the chocolate on the bottom dries.

Recipe

3 Tb Cocoa
6 Tb Butter, softened
1/2 cup Cane Sugar
1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup Chestnut Flour
1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 cup Almond Meal
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Kuzu/Kudzu Powder
2.5 oz dark chocolate
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped almonds or 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

In your machine mixing bowl, beat two eggs and add kudzu powder. Allow the mixture to sit and the kudzu dissolve. In another bowl, place the cocoa, sugar, flours, almond meal and salt and blend. Add the butter to the mixing bowl and blend. Then slowly add the dry ingredients to the mixing bowl while blending. Add your choice of optional ingredients and blend.

Divide the dough in two and make two oblong loaves on the parchment paper. Take a small sheet of aluminum foil and cut into 3 inch wide strips. Connect the strips until they will go around the loaves of biscotti dough and fold the end onto the side of the ring so it will stay in place. The foil bands keep the dough from spreading during baking.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the dough to cool for 5 minutes. Transfer the loaf to a cutting surface and using a sharp knife cut diagonal slices off the loaf. Each slice should be about 1 inch wide. Arrange the cut slices on the cookie tray and return them to the oven for 10 minutes.

Place the dark chocolate in the top bowl of a double boiler that has simmering water in it. Once the chocolate is melted, dip the bottom of the biscotti into the chocolate. Lay the cookie back on the cookie sheet so the chocolate can dry. If you like a thicker layer of chocolate on your biscotti, simply repeat this step.

The biscotti were beautiful and smelled like dark chocolate brownies. It's the kind of smell that has everyone in the house hovering around the oven wondering what you are making and when can they eat it. We ate our first cookies before the chocolate had finished drying and they were a warm blast of dark chocolate. Everyone agreed that they had a wonderful flavor.

The biscotti were so good that the next morning my husband and I decided to start the day with dessert and have breakfast second. The chocolate had completely dried and the cookies were nice and crisp. They were scrumptious with a fresh cup of coffee. Outside it was a frigid 16 degrees so we passed on watching the world go by and watched each other instead. A wonderful way to start the day.