These twice-cooked little chocolate and almond morsels will finish off any summer meal beautifully. They are also ideal to enjoy as a snack late in the dat with a glass of wine.

Ingredients

• 70 grams blanched almonds
• 1¾ cups flour
• ¼ cup cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• a pinch of salt
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• a few drops of almond essence
• 1 egg white

Method

1. Toast the blanched almonds in a 180ºC oven for 15 minutes or unti lthey are golden brown. Allow to cool.
2. Put the toasted almonds into a food processor and process until they are fine.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, caster sugar and salt into a bowl.
4. Stir in the ground almonds and the chocolate chips.
5. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, add the beaten eggs and the almond essence and mix with a wooden spoon to make a thick dough.
6. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead for a couple of minutes.
7. Divide the dough into three pieces and roll each piece out into a sausage shape about 2cm in diameter. Place each roll on a grease baking tray.
8. Brush each of the biscotti rolls with lightly beaten egg white.
9. Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for ten minutes.
10. Cut the rolls into 1cm slices on the diagonal and place pieces back on the baking tray. Return to a 140ºC oven for a further 20 minutes, turning once after ten minutes. Cool on a cake rack. Store in an airtight container.

Cooks Tips

- Use a serrated edged knife when cutting biscotti into thin slices as the serrated knife will cut through the nuts more evenly.