Espresso Chip Biscotti

I've lived in the South for 20 years, where biscuits and sausage gravy is a breakfast staple.  As a matter of fact, they're so serious about their biscuits here that there are are whole restaurants dedicated to biscuits - flying biscuits!!  But at the risk of getting evicted from the South, I admit that I've never acquired a taste for them.😬  I think it's my Italian roots but I'll take a biscotti and a peppermint tea over biscuits and gravy any day.  

I get ostracized for not ordering biscuits and gravy but that's nothing compared to the looks I get from Southerners who find out that I don't drink caffeinated coffee either.😳☕️  I'd describe it as a look of shock with a hint of disappointment.😲😟😅 I'd say next to biscuits and gravy, coffee is the life blood of the South - something that I just don't understand during our hot, humid, tropical summers.🤷🏻‍♀️ I'm not opposed to the flavor of coffee, I actually enjoy a cup of decaf at the end of a meal.  Trust me, I'm not here to take a stand against the coffee industry - I'm just a girl trying to limit her caffeine intake.  

It probably seems like a conflict of interest for a girl who doesn't drink caffeinated coffee to develop a biscotti recipe that's chock full of energy boosting caffeine.🤷🏻‍♀️  Well, funny story.  This is what happened when I decided make chocolate espresso biscotti to take on our vacation in a couple of weeks for the extreme coffee lovers in the family.   

Biscotti freeze really well so I figured I'd make them in advance and pack them in a cooler to transport.  Fast forward to 9:00 one evening when I started making (and sampling) this recipe because as any good bakers knows, you have to taste the product along the way.👩🏻‍🍳😋  I had made some minor adjustments to the recipe during the process so I did quite a bit of sampling and it wasn't until I started speed vacuuming the house at 11:00 that night that I realized that I had accidentally over-caffeinated myself. 🤣  Note to self:  Do not make Chocolate Espresso Biscotti if you want to go to sleep in the next 12 hours.😂   

I don't know exactly how much caffeine is in each Espresso Chip Biscotti but I do know that they have a healthy dose of espresso powder and chocolate.  Biscotti are usually meant to be dipped and enjoyed alongside your morning coffee, so just be aware that they do have a fair amount of caffeine in them even when not accompanies by coffee.  You've been warned!😂  You might even skip the coffee altogether and be able to get your morning energy boost with just a couple of delicious, chocolatey, biscotti.  It's too hot for coffee anyway.🤣  

Espresso Chip Biscotti
2 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate 
8 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons cocoa nibs, coarsely ground

Combine flour, cocoa, espresso powder, salt, baking soda and 1/2 cup chocolate chips in food processor. 

Pulse until the chocolate is ground into the flour mixture.

Cream together the butter and sugar.

Beat in egg and vanilla. 

Add flour mixture.  

Stir in chocolate chips and cocoa nibs. 

Divide dough in half. 

Form into 2 logs and place on silpat lined baking sheets.

Bake 30 minutes at 300.  

Slice logs into 1/2" slices.  

Arrange on baking sheets and bake 15. minutes.  Flip and bake another 15 minutes. 

Ciao!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe