Hazelnut Biscotti

Ingredients

2/3C              Blanched hazelnuts

3ea               Large eggs

2T                 Instant espresso powder, or

                     instant coffee powder

2C                 AP flour

2t                  Baking powder

1t                  Kosher salt

1/4lb              Unsalted butter at room temperature

1C                 Sugar

 +more          Sugar for sprinkling

2t                  Vanilla extract (alternate coffee extract)

3oz                Semi sweet chocolate coarsely chopped

Process

Preheat the oven to 350F

Place racks in upper and lower 1/3 of the oven

Toast the hazelnuts on a rimmed cookie sheet tossing once until golden brown           (8-10minutes)

Cool

Chop very coarsely

Reduce oven heat to 325F

Separate yolk from 1 egg in a bowl, and set aside the white for basting later

Crack the remaining 2 eggs into the bowl with the yolk

Add espresso powder and beat with a fork to combine and dissolve

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat butter and 1C sugar until light and creamy (about 2 minutes)

Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and add the egg yolk mixture and vanilla extract

Beat to just combine

Scrape down the sides of the bowl again and beat until smooth

Add dry ingredients, and mix on low speed to combine

Add hazelnuts and chocolate and mix to evenly distribute

Divide dough evenly between two parchment lined baking sheets

Run your hands under cold water and shape the dough into 5 inch squares 1 inch thick

Beat the reserved egg white with a fork until foamy and brush over the loaves(you won’t need all of it)

Sprinkle very generously with sugar

Bake the loaves, rotating front to back and top to bottom halfway through (30-35minutes)

Bake until firm in the center and starting to crisp on the edges

Transfer the sheets to wire racks and cool for 15 minutes

Transfer the loaves to a cutting board

Using a serrated knife cut the loaves into 1/2in thick slices

Arrange on a baking sheet cut side down and bake 30-35minutes, rotating top to bottom and front to back at half time until dry and crisp

Transfer back to wire racks and let cool

Can be baked 1 week ahead.  Store at room temperature in airtight container