This is a low calorie, low-fat treat that dips well in either coffee or red wine. Leave the almonds out, and the individual biscotti have approximately 75 calories and one gram of fat. Try it with or without almonds with or without coffee or wine, but try it. You’ll like it!
Ingredients:
¾ cup whole raw almonds
1¼ cup unbleached white flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon instant espresso crystals
dash of salt
1 large egg (beaten)
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Put almonds in a shallow pan and toast for ten minutes, stirring once. Remove from oven and let cool. Chop coarsely and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. In this well, pour the beaten egg, almond extract, vanilla extract, and water. Stir to combine. Stir in almonds and mix well until mixture is sticky. Wet hands and form mixture into a 10-inch log.
Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray and transfer the biscotti log onto the sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and set on a rack to cool for 15 minutes.
Transfer the cooled log to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the log into ten to 12 equal slices. Using tongs, place the slices directly onto the oven rack and bake for another 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Store biscotti in an airtight container or plastic baggie.
Tip: For less crunchy biscotti, bake the second time for five minutes instead of the full 15.
Chef Randy’s latest book: Ojai Valley Make Ahead Cookbook on Sale at AMAZON
For additional recipes, see Chef Randy’s website at valley-vegetarian.com.
Chef Randy has been a vegetarian for over 40 years and eats local and organic grain, fresh fruit, and vegetables as much as possible. He is known locally as the “Healthy Chef.” His column, Chef Randy, is syndicated in California newspapers. See his website at Valley-Vegetarian.com for more recipes.
Visit his author’s page on Amazon for culinary inspiration!
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