Learn how to make chocolate-dipped biscotti with sweet & chewy dried cherries! These crunchy Italian cookies are perfect for the holidays and are best when dunked into a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa.
Every bite of these crunchy Italian biscotti cookies is chocolatey, crispy, and filled with chewy dried cherries! My family loves this recipe. So much so, that all of the biscottis are usually consumed within 24 hours of baking them!
They are not only delicious and decadent but are perfect for gifting for the holidays! They can either be wrapped in clear wrapping with a bow, or you can add them to a Christmas cookie box.
Now if you’ve never had one before, you may be wondering what is a biscotti? They are Italian cookies that originated in Prato, Italy.
Biscotti means “twice-baked” – because these cookies are not just baked once, but twice! Once for the “logs” of dough, then, after slicing they are arranged on a baking pan and baked again to attain the perfect “crunch”. And because these cookies are crunchier, their main purpose was for coffee dunking so they wouldn’t fall apart when dipped in the hot liquid! And that’s just how I like to eat them.
How to Make Chocolate Dipped Biscottis – Step by Step Photos
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1
Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, white sugar, and vanilla.
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2
Add the dried cherries. Then fold in the dried cherries with the wet ingredients.
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3
Add the dry ingredients. In the same bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking soda. You can sift the flour through a fine mesh strainer to prevent clumps of flour from forming. Mix together thoroughly until the dough comes together. If it isn’t thoroughly mixing with a spoon, you can use your hands to fold any extra flour in.
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4
Form the dough into logs. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 logs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (mine were around 7×3 in size). Then brush the logs with the egg and milk wash and bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
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5
Let them cool. Once the biscotti logs are finished baking, let them cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 325F at this point to prepare for the second bake.
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6
Slice into biscotti shapes. Using a cerated bread knife, carefully slice the cookies into 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in thickness. You can slice them straight across for a smaller biscotti, or on a diagonal.
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7
The second bake. Place the sliced biscottis back on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and bake at 325F for 25 minutes.
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8
Dip into melted chocolate. Melt your dark chocolate in a double boiler or in 30 second batches in a microwave (stir between each 30 seconds). Remove the biscotti’s from the sheet pan and replace the parchment paper with a new sheet. Dip the bottom of the biscotti in the dark chocolate, then drizzle the chocolate over top. Place them back on the cookie sheet and repeat until finished. Then cool them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes until the chocolate has solidified. Then serve!
Tips for Success
Different ways to decorate the chocolate – you can dip these biscotti in the melted chocolate in whatever way you want! You can dip the bottom in chocolate (so every bite is filled with dark chocolate) or you can drizzle it over top using a butter knife or spoon.
Keep the biscotti slices thin – Remember these cookies have a crunchier, harder texture. So keep the slices of the cookie no thicker than 3/4 of an inch
Add nuts – You can also add 1/2 cup of raw almonds or almond slices, chopped pecans, or pistachios.
Switch up the fruit – if you don’t want to use dried cherries, you can swap for dried cranberries!
How to best package them for gifting – my favorite way to gift these cookies is wrapped in clear cookie bags with a little red bow! You can also add them to a tin or wooden cookie box with more assorted cookies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do homemade biscotti stay fresh? These should stay fresh for about 2 weeks! Keep them in an airtight container or cookie jar, or store them in a ziplock bag. Be sure to keep them in a semi-cool environment so the chocolate doesn’t melt!
What’s the best way to freeze biscotti? You can freeze them two different ways. Freeze the finished biscuit in a freezer-friendly bag for about 1 month. Then let thaw until room temperature to enjoy! You can also freeze the dough by thoroughly wrapping it in plastic wrap and freezing it for 1-2 months. Let thaw until room temperature before assembling into the dough logs.
Why are biscotti so hard? These cookies are meant to be harder in texture. And that’s because they were made to be dipped in coffee and still hold their shape when they were met with hot liquid. Soften them up by dunking them into a warm cup of coffee or hot cocoa!
More Cookies to Try
Chewy Oatmeal Molasses Cookies
Mom’s Christmas Crescent Cookies
5-ingredient Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
Dark Chocolate Cherry Italian Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 Tbsp melted butter, cooled
- 2/3 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup dried cherries
- 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 Tablespoon almond milk or regular milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the eggs, melted butter, white sugar, and vanilla. Then fold in the dried cherries.
- Add the dry ingredients. In the same bowl, add the flour, salt, and baking powder. You can sift the flour through a fine mesh strainer to prevent clumps of flour from forming. Mix together thoroughly until the dough comes together. If it isn’t thoroughly mixing with a spoon, you can use your hands to fold any extra flour in.
- Form the dough into logs and bake. Divide the dough in half and form into 2 logs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (mine were around 7×3 in size). Then brush the logs with the egg and milk wash and bake at 350F for 25 minutes.
- Let the logs cool. Once the biscotti logs are finished baking, let them cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 325F at this point to prepare for the second bake.
- Slice into biscotti shapes. Using a cerated bread knife, carefully slice the cookies into 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch in thickness. You can slice them straight across for a smaller biscotti, or on a diagonal.
- The second bake. Place the sliced biscottis back on the parchment paper lined cookie sheet, and bake at 325F for 25 minutes.
- Dip into melted chocolate. Melt your dark chocolate in a double boiler or in 30 second batches in a microwave (stir between each 30 seconds). Remove the biscotti’s from the sheet pan and replace the parchment paper with a new sheet. Dip the bottom of the biscotti in the dark chocolate, then drizzle the chocolate over top.
- Chill them, and serve. Place them back on the cookie sheet and repeat until finished. Then cool them in the refrigerator for 20 minutes until the chocolate has solidified. Then serve! Keep the biscottis in an airtight container, tin, or ziplock bag and store them at room temperature.
Video
Incredible biscotti – these were gone immediately. Loved the cherries with the chocolate.
This looks ridiculously amazing. Save one for me!