Chocolate-Dipped Chicory Coffee Biscotti

If there’s one thing I remember most from my visit to New Orleans, it’s the food. There haven’t been many times when I haven’t sat and pined for a fried shrimp po’ boy and a praline. And don’t get me started on the way-too-easy-to-drink Hurricanes at Patty O’s.

But if there’s one meal I have wanted to recreate ever since I left, it’s the breakfast of beignets and chicory coffee I enjoyed at Cafe Du Monde. There really is nothing like inhaling a pile of powdered sugar and sipping on a coffee while jazz music wafts through the air. Something about it just screams lazy Sunday morning and the enjoyment of music and food together? That’s New Orleans to a tee.

Chicory coffee is the traditional coffee they serve at Cafe Du Monde and I have to say that the first time I tried it, I wasn’t enamoured with it. In the old days, chicory root was used as a coffee substitute during economic crises, as it is easily grown, baked and ground.  Chicory coffee also has less caffeine in it than regular coffee and it’s traditionally served with plenty of milk.

It was because of this that the first time I tried it, I had felt it would be forgettable. I am used to drinking strong, sometimes even black, coffee and so anything that tastes “watered down” puts me off. But as a complement to the sugary beignets, it was perfect.

And surprisingly, I have been thinking about it ever since.

So, imagine my surprise (and delight) when I spotted some French Market Chicory coffee in the supermarket here in Arizona. All I’d need to do would be put a bit of jazz music on in the background, and I’d be on way to recreating my NOLA experience. Of course, I bought it. (As a side note – the tin is so cute I may have to keep it to store things in or use as a vase)

And then, as soon as I’d drunk several cups of it, my baking brain started thinking what I could use it to cook with. Biscotti, as the ultimate coffee-drinking accompaniment, seemed like the perfect fit. 

Biscotti means “twice baked biscuit” in Italian, and they are usually baked with some type of nut in them. And will cost you about $3 for one in Starbucks (am I right, or am I right?) I’d never tried my hand at making biscotti before, but have devoured many in Italian restaurants around the world.

I didn’t want to add any type of nuts to mine, as I wanted the chicory coffee flavour to take precedence. But I knew that I needed chocolate. Everything needs chocolate. Feel free to add some chopped hazelnuts to these chocolate-dipped chicory coffee biscotti if you so wish, but please assure me you’ll enjoy them with a nice cup of coffee and maybe some jazz.

Chocolate-Dipped Chicory Coffee Biscotti

Recipe by Julia

Servings

20

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Ingredients

• 2 cups (240g) plain flour

• 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 cup chicory coffee, cooled

• 1 tbsp milk

• 1 egg

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup (85g) chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350F / 180C. Whisk together the coffee, milk, vanilla and egg in a small mixing bowl.
• In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer (or stand mixer) to combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. When it is fully combined, but the mixer is still on, start gradually adding the coffee mixture to the bowl. Keep whisking until a dough is formed.
• Turn the dough out on to a floured surface and roll into two small logs of around 10 inches long and 2 inches wide. Use your hands to roll the dough as if you were rolling sausage meat.
• Place the logs onto a lined baking sheet and bake for around 30-35 minutes, or until the biscotti is firm to the touch but not completely hard.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10-15 minutes. Turn down the temperature on the oven to 300F / 150C.
• Take a sharp knife and cut the logs into slices that are around 1/2 inch to an inch thick (depending on preference). Place the slices back on to the baking sheet and cook for 10 minutes, turning the biscotti over halfway through.
• Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of hot water. Take each piece of biscotti and dip one end into the chocolate to cover it. Place on a piece of baking paper or wire rack and leave to harden.

Notes

• Dough will spread during baking – this is normal.
  Store in an airtight container.