La Cucina Viola

During my travels in Italy last spring, I tried some chocolate covered orange peels from a small bakery in Amalfi. They were life incredible and inspired this recipe.

Video

Ingredients

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp’s baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsps orange juice
• Zest one orange
• 1/2 cup candied orange peel
• 10 oz dark chocolate melts
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• Optional: 5-6 drops orange food coloring.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cream together butter, sugar, and orange zest.
3. Add eggs, vanilla, and orange juice, mix.
4. In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients : flour, baking powder, salt.
5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet, mix until a sticky dough forms.
6. Lightly flour a sanitized surface.
7. On the floured surface, knead the dough for about 30 seconds and form the dough into a ball.
8. Cut the ball into 2 even sized portions.
9. Using floured hands, form the portions into 10 inch by 3 in by 3 in rectangles.
10. Place each rectangle onto it’s own parchment lined cookie sheet.
11. Place in the oven at 325 for 35 minutes, bake separately on the middle rack.
12. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
13. Using a serrated blade, slice into half inch slices.
14. Place each biscotti slice on a parchment lined cookie sheet, about a half inch apart.
15. Bake in the oven for an additional 20 minutes or until the edges become a dark golden brown.
16. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
17. In a microwave, double boiler, or a stovetop with a melt setting, melt the dark chocolate melts.
18. Pour the mix into a glass or mug so the biscotti can be dipper deep.
19. Dip the biscotti 1/2 or 3/4 of the way into the cup, coating it with dark chocolate.
20. Allow to cool on a parchment lined cookie sheet until set.