Pecan Biscotti with Chocolate and Raisins

4.34 from 3 votes

Pecan Biscotti with Chocolate and Raisins

This perfect pecan biscotti is crunchy and crisp, packed full of nutty, chocolatey goodness and studded with juicy raisins. The recipe makes a large batch and they keep for weeks.

Prep Time40

Cook Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: Afternoon Tea, Food Gift

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: biscotti, biscotti recipe, pecan biscotti

Servings: cookies

Calories: 105kcal

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour 224g
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp flaky salt kosher salt
1 ½ tsp ground ginger
3 Tbsp Dutch process cocoa
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or good quality dark chocolate, chopped 160g
1 cup raisins or dried sour cherries 150g
2 cups pecan halves divided 200g
1/2 cup granulated sugar 100g
1/2 cup dark brown sugar packed 110g
2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
2 large eggs
1 large egg extra, separated
3 Tbsp granulated sugar for sprinkling

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C, conventional setting (that's no steam, those of you who are regulars here!). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Put flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, powdered ginger, and cocoa powder into a large bowl. Whisk to combine thoroughly and break up any lumps.
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp flaky salt, 1 ½ tsp ground ginger, 3 Tbsp Dutch process cocoa
Add the chocolate chips, raisins and 1 ¼ cups pecans, and mix with a spatula or spoon to coat all the inclusions with flour.
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips, 1 cup raisins, 2 cups pecan halves
Put the remaining pecans and the granulated sugar into the bowl of a food processor. Process until the nuts are finely ground.
2 cups pecan halves, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Put the pecan sugar mixture into another bowl, then add the brown sugar, melted butter, vanilla, whole eggs, and the egg yolk from the separated egg. Whisk together until smooth then scrape into the large bowl containing the dry ingredients. Stir together until it forms a mass and there are no visible streaks of flour left.
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract, 2 large eggs, 1 large egg
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead it together a couple of times to make sure it's evenly mixed, then use a dough scraper or knife to cut the dough into two. Flour your hands and roll each piece into a thick log, about 10 inches (25cm) long and 2 inches (5cm) in diameter. Carefully transfer the logs to the lined baking sheet, leaving a couple of inches between them as they'll expand during baking. Whisk the leftover egg white and brush the tops of the logs, then sprinkle generously with extra sugar.
1 large egg, 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
Bake the biscotti logs until the center feels firm when you press it gently, about 40-45 minutes. Let the logs cool on the baking sheet just until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°F/165°C. Using a sharp bread knife, slice the biscotti about 3/8 inch (1cm) thick, on a slight angle, and lay them on the baking sheet, close together. You'll likely need a second lined sheet, or you can do this step in batches. Return baking sheet to the oven to toast and dry out the biscotti, about 9 minutes per side. Cool completely before packing them into an airtight container. Biscotti will stay fresh for about 2-3 weeks and can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 6 months.

Notes

Mix-ins can be varied. Most nuts are great in biscotti, as are most dried fruits. Feel free to change things up depending on what you have, and add chocolate if you like (milk or dark work best, white tends to get chalky and burned). I also love cocoa nibs, pumpkin seeds (the little green pepitas, not the big pale ones) and poppy seeds in biscotti. Stick to roughly the same total volume of nuts, fruit and chocolate overall.
Cool the logs before slicing, but not too much. Let the biscotti cool until you can handle it with bare hands, but don't let it go cold or it'll be rock-like and crumble into pieces when cut.
Don't be afraid of using flour to form the biscotti. This is a sticky dough and can be unwieldy to work with. Dust your counter and your hands with plenty of flour before forming the dough into logs. If you do end up with huge caked-on bits of flour when the logs are formed, just brush them off lightly with a pastry brush.
You need to bake the biscotti enough to dry them out fully, but don't go too far because the nuts will burn and the cookies will be hard. The time it takes depends on how thickly you slice the pieces. For reference, mine are about 3/8 inch or 1cm and took 9 minutes on each side.

Nutrition