Chocolate Pecan Pie Biscotti is the perfect recipe for people who like their cookies extra crunchy! While not quite a substitute for its namesake pecan pie, the cookies make an excellent dessert or mid-afternoon coffee snack.
Maida's Chocolate Chip and Almond Biscotti
The recipe is my twist on an old one from Maida Heatter’s Great Book of Chocolate. Maida's "Chocolate Chip and Almond Biscotti" recipe calls for grinding toasted almonds and incorporating them into a chocolate chip-heavy dough. My version uses pecans instead of almonds, bourbon, and a little maple or corn syrup to keep with the pecan pie theme.
No Butter or Oil Makes it Extra Crunchy
Because there is no butter or oil, you get super crunchy cookies perfect for dipping. Since the bourbon flavor isn't that strong, you might want to serve these with a glass of bourbon. I recommend Blanton's or Larceny
Chocolate Chip Pecan Pie Biscotti Alternatives
Recipe
Chocolate Pecan Pie Biscotti with Bourbon
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups pecan halves 120 grams
- 2 cups sifted unbleached all-purpose flour 250 grams (measured after sifting)**
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon. baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch
- ¾ cup sugar 150 grams
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 350 grams
- 2 large eggs Keep a third egg nearby just in case
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or corn syrup (or just use more sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or use a combo of vanilla and almond
- ¼ cup bourbon plus more as needed
Instructions
- Toast the pecans. Spread them on baking sheet and bake at 350 for 7 to 10 minutes or until they start to release their oil and appear shiny. How long it takes will depend on the type of pecans and your oven, so keep an eye on them. Let them cool, then chop
- Mix flour with baking soda, baking powder, salt and sugar.
- Place about ½ cup of the flour mixture in a food processor. Add ½ cup of the toasted pecans and process until pecans are finely ground. Add the processed mixture to the rest of the flour mixture and stir in the remaining chopped pecans and chocolate chips.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, vanilla and bourbon. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber scraper until the ingredients are moistened. The dough will be very dry at this point.
- If you have a pastry mat, you might want to turn the not-quite-mixed dough onto the pat and use your hands to get it to come together. Again -- it is dry, and it is supposed to be. If for some reason you can’t get all the flour mixed in, crack another egg, mix it in a cup and drizzle in a little or just enough to get it to stick.
- Divide the dough in half. Dampen your hands with a little water and shape into two logs each about 10 inches long, 2 ½ inches wide and a little under and inch tall.
- Arrange logs 8 inches apart on a large parchment lined baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F. for 25 minutes.
- Let the log cool for about 25 minutes/
- Reduce oven temperature to 275 degrees.
- Carefully slice each log diagonally into slices about ½ inch wide. If you want thicker biscotti, slice them wider. Use whatever knife works best for you. In my experience with this recipe, a sharp chef's knife and a swift up and down motion works best.
- Bake in a 275 degree oven for another 25 minutes, turning the slices over midway through baking. Let cool completely.
Anna says
Brenda, you can try it. What I like about these cookies is the crumbly texture. Adding more butter or doubling it will completely change that. The cookies might be too greasy, spread too much or be too short and mealy (like when you put too much fat in pie crust). BUT I haven't tried it so feel free. I'd love to hear how that works out :).
Maybe I overemphasized the dryness of the dough. I just don't want people to give up and think they did it wrong when it requires some elbow grease to get it to hold together.
Also, I am jealous of you for having never made biscotti because you are in for some fun. Maybe before you try these, you should try a really good biscotti recipe.
Brenda Berndt says
Sounds great and I'm going to make them this week. One question, please.
If the dough is so dry and hard to work with, why not add 3 tablespoons of melted butter?
I may be off base, as I've never made Biscotti before. Just an idea.
Sonya says
These sound amazing!!!