Chocolate, Vanilla and Cardamom Biscotti.

I've been playing with Cardamon again. In fact I made six lots of these just to get the right balance.
The cardamom merges together with rich cocoa and soft vanilla. This terrific combination both compliments and exaggerates the deeper flavours of coffee like no other biscuit I know.

A traditional, twice baked, hard Italian biscuit, these fragrant biscotti can also be served with fruit fool or ice-cream. Alternatively, they make an elegant sweet for a supper party. The crunch of the almonds works brilliantly with plate of baked figs drizzled in honey and a slice of creamy gorgonzola. It’s an effortless yet classic blend.

The final flavour is significantly improved using freshly ground cardamom. If you have the opportunity, grind your pods up with a pestle and mortar, discarding the outer green husks.
What I really adore about these biscuits, is the fact that it takes less than ten minutes to have them made and in the oven. They are super fast, super simple, sophistication. What’s more, a jar full makes a handsome present. They store for a week or two, and improve with age.
Cooking & prep time 50 minutes
Clear up time 10 minutes
Ingredients

300 grams Whole Almonds
350 grams Self Raising Flour
50 grams of Cocoa Powder
200 grams Vanilla sugar OR caster sugar with vanilla essence
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 level teaspoon of course sea salt.
1 level teaspoon Ground Cardamom
6 Large Eggs
75grams Chopped Roasted Hazelnuts

Method
Preheat the oven 180 Celsius/ gas mark 4/ 350 Fahrenheit
To add a good crunch to the almonds gently roast them a heavy based frying pan. Take care as they burn easily.
In a bowl mix the sugar, flour, sifted cocoa powder, cardamom and salt together.
Beat eggs, (vanilla essence if necessary) and milk in a food mixer then slowly add the dry mix to form a loose dough adding the roasted almonds at the end, and stirring them in gently .. you don’t want to break them up.
Transfer the mix on to a large greased baking tray making two logs. These should be 10 inches long and no more than 4 inches wide. Leave a gap between the logs as they expand. Sprinkle evenly with hazelnuts.
Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool. Next, to avoid the biscuit breaking apart as you cut through the almonds use a very sharp knife cut straight down, with the heel of your hand pressing down on the top of the knife. Don’t saw. Cut into 3/4 inch portions and return to the oven. Toast for 10 – 12 minutes on each side. Don’t be tempted to overcook them; they need leaving on a wire rack for an hour or two to dry out completely. Transfer to an air tight container.
Makes 30 - 35.