Chocolate & Vanilla Chip Biscotti

Twice-baked Italian biscotti with a deep chocolate cookie base studded with white vanilla chips, giving you a striking visual contrast and a balanced bitter-sweet flavor in every bite. The cocoa powder makes the biscotti dark and dramatic, while the white chips stand out like polka dots against the chocolate.

The twice-baked technique is what defines authentic biscotti. First bake produces a soft loaf, then slicing and re-baking dries out the cut surfaces into the signature ultra-crisp, dunkable texture. Skip the second bake and you have soft cookies, not biscotti.

Working the dough with sprayed hands is the trick that keeps the sticky chocolate mixture from welding to your fingers. The cooking spray creates a non-stick barrier so you can shape the rolls evenly without losing half the dough.

The long, slim rectangle shape is intentional. It cuts into the classic finger-length biscotti that fit perfectly in a coffee cup for dunking, the traditional Italian breakfast or dessert use.

Pro Tips

• Cool the first bake for 5 minutes before slicing. Hotter and the rectangles fall apart, colder and they crack along the cut lines.

• Use a serrated knife with a sawing motion for clean slices. Pressing straight down crushes the soft interior.

• Watch the second bake closely. Cocoa-based biscotti darken faster than vanilla, so the line between properly toasted and burnt is thin.

• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks. Biscotti improve in flavor as they age and stay crisp for ages.

Variations

• Substitute mini chocolate chips, dried cherries, or chopped pistachios for the white vanilla chips.

• Add a teaspoon of orange zest to the dough for a chocolate-orange biscotti.

• Drizzle the cooled cookies with melted white chocolate for a more dressed-up bakery look.