Mocha Hazelnut Latte Biscotti

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These Mocha Hazelnut Latte Biscotti are made with dark cocoa, coffee or hazelnut liqueur and ground espresso powder. With a healthy handful of toasted hazelnuts and chocolate-covered espresso beans, you’ll never want your morning cup of coffee without one (or two) of these biscotti alongside it.

Where are my fellow coffee lovers at? If you can’t start your day without a hot cup of coffee, then these Mocha Hazelnut Latte Biscotti will be right up your alley. Loaded with toasted hazelnuts and chocolate-covered espresso beans, these chocolatey little cookies are an indulgent treat to enjoy beside a latte or a tall glass of milk.

If you’re not familiar with biscotti, they’re a traditional almond-flavored Italian cookie that literally translates to “twice-baked”. With a dry, crumbly and crunchy texture, Biscotti are often served with coffee or vin santo (an Italian dessert wine) for dipping. Far from traditional, this recipe for Mocha Hazelnut Latte Biscotti features hints of hazelnut, rather than almond, and a chocolate-based dough.

This recipe is adapted from one of my mother’s. In recent years, she has become a biscotti baker extraordinaire. Growing up, my mom would make cookies for the family fairly frequently, and with four of us in the house, eating them in a timely fashion was never an issue. However, once my sister and I moved out, they realized that they tragically could no longer get through a full batch of my mother’s cookies before they dried out.

Simple options like making a half batch of cookies or freezing a portion of the dough for baking later were initial solutions to this issue. However, eventually my mom stumbled upon biscotti and they’ve proved to be a great cookie option for their empty nest. Unlike regular cookies that dry out after two or three days, biscotti can last for up to two weeks in an airtight container. Since they’re baked twice, they’re naturally dry and therefore have a better shelf life than most other cookies. 

Additionally, biscotti transport well. My mom and dad have made these Mocha Hazelnut Latte Biscotti for several cross-country road-trips. Beyond being super tasty, the espresso powder and chocolate-covered espresso beans mean these cookies contain just a pinch of caffeine. Don’t worry. Eating one of these won’t “give you wings”  like a Red Bull but may give you a little extra spring in your step if you pair it with a cup of coffee.

How to Make Biscotti

If you’ve read this far and are still wondering what I mean when I say biscotti are baked twice, this section of the blog post is for you. Rather than forming individual balls of cookie dough, as one does when making chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin cookies, biscotti are first baked as a single large loaf, then sliced and baked again.

Once the biscotti dough is fully mixed, divide the dough into two equal portions. Next, dust a little cocoa powder onto a prepared baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then shape each ball of dough into a flattened, oblong loaf on the cocoa-dusted parchment. In this recipe, for example, you want the two loaves to be about 3×12 inches and 1 1/2 inch thick. Then, lightly brush each biscotti loaf with a little egg white. This will give the cookies a little shine once they are baked.

Next, transfer the baking sheet to a preheated 350°F oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes and then remove the loaves from the oven. Let them cool completely and then transfer the loves to a cutting board. Using a serrated bread knife, carefully slice each loaf. The best way to slice biscotti is to cut the loaves at a 45-degree angle, making each biscotti about 1/2-inch wide.

Once the biscotti are sliced, arrange back on the baking sheet, with the freshly cut sides facing up and down. At this point, you’ll return the biscotti to the oven for ten minutes, flip and then bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. After their second bake, remove from the oven and let them cool completely before storing in an airtight container. The biscotti may have a very slight softness to them still when they come out of the oven. As they cool, they’ll dry out and get nice and crunchy.

While biscotti may take a little longer to bake than traditional cookies, they’re a nice change from your everyday chocolate chip cookies. I also LOVE that they’re a cookie that’s socially acceptable to eat at breakfast. You can’t complain about that!

If you try out these Mocha Hazelnut Latte Biscotti, please give the recipe a rating and leave me a comment down below with your thoughts. I love getting feedback from others on my recipes—plus new ideas for other recipes too!

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