Chocolate & Pistachio Biscotti

• Recipe by Michelle Myers

At Sona restaurant in Los Angeles and its one-year-old offshoot, Boule pâtisserie, pastry chef Michelle Myers presents exotic desserts that combine her training in graphic design with her fascination for Asian and Latin flavors (wasabi, rose water, habanero). Here, she makes a more traditional but still visually surprising cookie—the crispiest, crunchiest, most chocolaty biscotti studded with bright green pistachios.

Ingredients

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
3. 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4. Pinch of salt
5. 3 large eggs
6. 1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
7. 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8. 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
9. 1 teaspoon pure coffee extract
10. 1 teaspoon pure almond extract
11. 7 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, or 1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
12. 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios (6 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Using an electric mixer, beat in the eggs at low speed until a crumbly dough forms.
2. In another bowl, beat the brown sugar with the butter and the vanilla, coffee and almond extracts until combined. Scrape the mixture into the crumbly dough and beat at medium speed until a soft, sticky dough forms. Add the chopped chocolate and shelled pistachios and beat at low speed just until evenly distributed.
3. Divide the dough into 4 clumps and transfer 2 of the clumps to each baking sheet. Form each clump into an 8-inch-long rope; pat the ropes until they're about 2 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick. Bake for about 22 minutes, until the logs are puffed and springy to the touch; rotate the pans halfway through baking. Carefully transfer the logs to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 200°.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut the logs crosswise into scant 1/2-inch-thick slices; each log will yield about 20. Return the slices to the baking sheets and bake for about 30 minutes longer, flipping the biscotti once after 15 minutes, until crisp. Transfer to racks to cool.

Notes

Gift Prep Pack 10 biscotti in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for up to 1 week.