Biscotti with Brazil Nuts

Biscotti is a twice baked cookie.  It is shaped long, then baked, cooled, then baked again after slicing on an angle. Adding Brazil nuts with the biscotti batter shows very nicely in these slices and have a similar crisp texture.

A little chocolate never hurt a biscotti either!

One only needs to eat three Brazil nuts to get the most nutritional benefits these crisp yet buttery nuts have to offer, and they have many healthy benefits.

Nutrition

Brazil Nuts are a good source of many antioxidants, fibre and vitamin E.  It's always better to get your vitamins from a natural source rather than supplements if you can, especially vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps with vision and healthy skin.
Brazil nuts are best known for being an excellent source of selenium, a mineral that helps to protect against cell damage.  Too much selenium is not good for you either, but not too many people eat too many Brazil nuts every day.

One Brazil nut contains about 80mcg selenium, so a two cookie serving of Biscotti with Brazil nuts is probably perfect!

Preparing raw Brazil nuts

I toasted raw organic Brazil nuts.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and spread the Brazil nuts out on a baking sheet.

Bake these for about 8 minutes.  If you can smell them, take them out right away.  Then I rub them a bit because the thin brown skin starts to peel off.

You can also preheat a frying pan, preferably a heavy one like a cast iron frying pan and stir them in there until fragrant, also for about 8 minutes, but you must keep an eye on them and stir frequently!

Note! Any leftover Brazil nuts I keep in the freezer to prevent them from going rancid.

Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar until pale yelow and fluffy and add the vanilla.

Add the just melted butter and beat in on low to start so it doesn’t splash.

Mix in half of the flour mixture, then the rest of it.  When the second addition is almost mixed in, add the Brazil nuts to finish combining. I just find it easier to mix the nuts in this way.

The dough will be soft and sticky.

On an ungreased baking sheet lined with baking parchment, form into 2 -30cm (12”) long logs about 8cm (3”) wide using wet hands so the dough doesn’t stick. A silicone spatula also helps.

The dough will spread a bit.

Brush with beaten egg white.

After the first baking, cool for at least 30 minutes.

Cut diagonally into ¾” slices. Some recommend using a serrated knife, I use a sharp knife.  There tends to be less crumbs. 

Place back onto the baking parchment. I stand them up if they will, so one side doesn’t brown too much.  The bottom is already brown, so I just keep it that way.  Unless the bottom is already more toasted than you would like, then lay them on their side to be baked again.

The second baking is to dry them crisp.

For the chocolate

Chop the chocolate into small chunks to make melting easier.

Place in a microwave safe bowl and microwave ¾ of the chocolate for about 20 seconds.  Let stand for about half a minute and microwave for another 15 seconds or so.  

Once it is almost all melted, start stirring until it is smooth, then add the other ¼ chocolate using only the heat from the melted chocolate. This is a quick, tempering to help the chocolate set quickly and with a nice finish.

Once melted, keep stirring until the chocolate holds a line when you drizzle it on itself.

I spread the chocolate on the bottom and place them on the parchment upside down, or sideways.