23 Nov
Posted as Cookies
A cousin of mine got married over the weekend and as is customary for most weddings in the Pittsburgh area, they had a large cookie table filled with goodies made by family and friends. If you’re from another area of the country, or from another country altogether, is this a tradition where you live? I don’t think I’ve ever been to a wedding in this area and there not been a large display of cookies made by family and friends of the bride and groom. It seems to transcend ethnicity, age, and just about every other factor you can think of. I personally think it’s great – along with the traditional wedding cake, guests can grab a cup of coffee and a plate of cookies to have with dessert. Most couples also provide take-out boxes at the table so when you leave the wedding, you can take some cookies home with you. It’s a great option for people who don’t like cake, and you get to sample some of the recipes that have been in the bride’s and groom’s families for years.
I was asked if I could make a couple different variations of biscotti to be included in the cookie table, and I was happy to oblige. I asked the bride if she wanted anything in particular and she asked for almond biscotti with cranberries and white chocolate (which I have made before and which you will see here on the site soon) and a chocolate biscotti with some type of nuts. I thought that pistachio would be an unexpected and delicious accompaniment to the chocolate; after all, they went together wonderfully in the spumoni I made over the summer. So I ran with that flavor combination.
To make these biscotti, I adapted a recipe that I found in Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook. It’s an interesting recipe because there is absolutely no fat included in the recipe (save for the cocoa and chocolate). I actually re-read it about four times before I started baking because I figured I just HAD to be missing the butter. But alas, no butter, no oil. I was curious if the cookies would turn out with the same consistency as traditional biscotti, and they absolutely did. The chocolate flavor in the biscotti is deep, rich and smooth and the salty pistachios provide the perfect balance. It’s an amazing combination and one I will be sure to make again and again.
Reminder: You still have a few hours left to enter the giveaway for the Kneadlessly Simple
Chocolate-Pistachio Biscotti
Yield: 4 dozen
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
¼ cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
12 ounces (about 2 cups) semisweet chocolate chunks
1½ cups (about 8 ounces) pistachios, shelled
4 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
1½ cups granulated sugar
Sanding sugar (or granulated sugar), for sprinkling (optional)1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. In a food processor, pulse the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, 1 cup chocolate chunks, and pistachios until chips and pistachios are the size of peas.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whole eggs and granulated sugar until the mixture holds a ribbon-like trail on the surface for a few seconds when you raise the whisk. Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture and remaining 1 cup chocolate chunks, and beat until just combined.
3. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, and divide into three equal pieces. Shape each piece into an 18-inch log. Transfer to prepared baking sheet. With the palm of your hand, gently press the logs to flatten slightly. Brush egg white over logs. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, if using.
4. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until logs are just firm to the touch, 20 to 24 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes.
5. Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut ¾-inch-thick slices on the diagonal. Place a wire rack on a large rimmed baking sheet. Arrange slices, cut sides down, on the rack. Bake until biscotti are firm to the touch and completely dry, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on the rack. Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
(Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook
)
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I’ve only made biscotti once, Dorie’s, and it was fabulous. Never buy store bought again. I’m not huge on biscotti, but these are two of my favorite things – chocolate and pistachio
Looks fabulous!
These look great! I like that you can really see the green of the pistachio even though they are dark chocolate biscotti.
It looks absolutely delicious. And this tradicion is so lovely…
makes the wedding sounds really a family and friends part, not that comercial thing…(my english is so poor…I hope you got what I mean0
YUM! And I totally love that you made these without fat. I’ve never understood why people add tons of butter when these don’t need it at all!
Will have to give the chocolate + pistachio combo a try this season…
Never made biscotti, but I love chocolate and I love pistachios. I don’t think I could go wrong with this recipe!
These biscotti really look great! Love the pistachio mixed into the chocolate dough.
This looks like such a heavenly indulgence. I love pistachios and chocolate — this would go well with any hot beverage, or even red wine!
I was considering making some biscotti for Christmas gifts. Now I will – you can’t go wrong with this flavour combination. Thanks for the recipe.
What a sweet cousin you are! Years ago I made all the cookies for my daughter’s wedding, truly a labor of love for my child and all those who attended! Life time Pittsburgher, would truly love to be the cookie lady at another wedding!
You know what? I have never heard of that tradition before. But it is brilliant. I think I have to do that when I get married. You are right, not everyone is a cake person. And some of the gorgeous cakes out there never taste as good as they look. But cookies and treats made my friends and family–always delicious!
You worried me there for a minute saying NO fat, then I saw that there was eggs. Eggs have fat. Otherwise, yum to the cookies! it’s amazing to me some biscotti recipes I see are so totally different from others with the amounts of butter and eggs! These look great!
These make me long for a good cup of coffee and a great book! I wish I could find already shelled pistacios
A cookie table is not something you see in the South. That is the first I have heard of it. Isn’t it funny how different traditions can be?
I LOVE chocolate biscotti, in fact, I just made some 2 weeks ago and still haven’t forgotten about it. Real biscotti doesn’t include butter, as you’ve found. This makes the cookie even more crispy and dippable. I love the pistachio addition to your cookie. I may have to throw them into mine next time. Great post! P.S. I’m originally from the Buckeye State, and we don’t do cookie tables at weddings, but I’d sure love to start.
A cookie table?!? Oh, I wish that was a tradition here! How fun! Your biscotti look wonderful!
The cookie table sounds like an amazing tradition. Wish we had something of the sort over here! And this biscotti looks so good, it might just be the first one I try to make!
The chocolate and pistachio make such a beautiful color combination. This wedding tradition sounds so awesome, I’ve never been to a wedding with a cookie table, but I think it is a sweet addition to have family and friends share their baked treats!
I just made these and they taste great.. however my dough was not firm and not easy to shape. I made only half the recipe , any reason why the dough didnt firm up?
Hi Sana –
I typically don’t find any type of biscotti dough to be firm; I usually need to really flour the work surface and my hands in order to shape them and get them onto the baking pan. I hope this helps!
Is the 8 oz. of pistachios before or after they have been shelled?
Hi Steve,
The 8 oz. is before they have been shelled. Enjoy the biscotti!