Biscotti or twice-baked Italian cookies are fantastic any time of the year. With a cup of hot coffee, tea or your favorite hot beverage, perfect.

Something about the chocolate hazelnut combination makes these biscotti rich and wonderful.

These twice-baked cookies are fun to make and even more fun to eat and share. Great for a cookie swap, chocolate hazelnut biscotti make your coffee bar or dessert table extraordinary.

Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

2 cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons espresso powder

1½ teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs, room temperature

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

½ cup of milk chocolate chips

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 egg white, beaten

Granulated sugar or decorating sugar

1 tablespoon hazelnut liqueur; optional

Melted white chocolate; optional drizzle

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Sift together all of your dry ingredients except for the espresso powder. Dissolve the espresso powder with the liqueur and pure vanilla extract.

In your stand-up mixing bowl, mix your butter and sugar on medium high until slightly whipped. Add your eggs, one at a time, mixing on medium low speed. Add your espresso liquid mixture, then your dry ingredients. Sprinkle in the hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Mix all together just to combine.

Place your dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and form into a flat yet a bit round log approximately 5-by-10 size. Brush the top with the egg white and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until the biscotti log is firm to the touch. Keep the biscotti log in the pan, on a cooling rack when done.

Now comes the twice-bake part. Once cool enough to handle, after about 15 minutes, set out the log and slice each biscotti cookie to about ¾ of an inch thick. You can cut it on an angle if you wish. Place the biscotti cookies back onto the baking sheet and bake again for about 10-15 minutes on each side.

Drizzle with melted white chocolate, if you wish. Enjoy.

Sarah Schweitzer is dual-certified in Culinary Arts and Baking & Pastry from the Escoffier School of Culinary Arts. She is a former line cook for Chef Robert Irvine at “Fresh Kitchen by Robert Irvine” which was located at the Downtown Allentown Market. Sarah is currently working as a Sous-Chef at Ateira’s on First and has her own blog simplysarah.online. She can be reached at sarah.schweitzer18@gmail.com.