Hazelnut Biscotti

There were some special sales at the book store few weeks ago. Since the store wasn't crowded with people, so I took my own sweet time glancing and looking through the wide range of cookbooks selling at discounted prices. Biscotti ! Ding! Ding! Well, that was the only cookbook solely on biscotti with 42 biscotti recipes. Ding!!! I've been intrigued by some very interesting recipes ... Garlic Biscotti, Spring Onion Biscotti, Rose Biscotti, Charcoal Biscotti, Seaweed Biscotti, Tuna Biscotti ... Wow ! Have you heard of these ?
I love biscotti and my first attempt here about 2 months ago. Of course I grabbed a copy and headed my way to the checkout counter.

Okay, I admit ... hee hee! ... I "chicken out" as I'm not that adventurous to bake any of those unique recipes as mentioned above yet  ... lol ~○~ Cannot imagine the taste of dunked garlic biscotti in coffee or wine ... ~*~

Anyway, on the safe side, baked these Hazelnut Biscotti for my colleagues to try.

Recipe adapted from the cookbook - Biscotti by Kevin Chai.
Below my slightly modified version with some detailed steps and notes in blue.

Hazelnut Biscotti
Ingredients:
180g plain flour
3g baking powder
70g caster sugar (I reduced slightly to 55g)
40g hazelnut spread (I used Nutella)
50g egg lightly beaten
1 teaspoon hazelnut essence
40ml fresh milk
80g hazelnuts (reduced to 60g)

Method:
Step 1
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C for my oven)
Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Step 2
Combine flour, baking powder and sugar in an electric mixer. Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix to form a soft dough over low speed. (I added in the hazelnuts last after added all the spread/ liquid ingredients)

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead lightly until smooth. Shape into a 20cm long log. Place on prepared tray. Flatten slightly.

Step 3 
Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

Remove and leave to cool completely.
Using a serrated knife, slice log diagonally into thin slices.
(I realised it's difficult to slice it too thinly as some of the hazelnuts 'dislodged'.  I should have coarsely chopped the hazelnuts instead. Slice it about 1cm thickness seemed to work better.)

Step 4 
Place slices, in a single layer, on baking tray. Bake in oven at 140°C for 20 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until dry and crisp. Stand on tray for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Store in airtight container.

Keeping some for my coffee breaks

To bring this jar of Hazelnut Biscotti
to office for my colleagues to try :D

Well ... needless to say ... I'm enjoying my dunking time ^-^!

Sharing this cookbook here with Cookbook Wednesday. Happy baking !

Also submitting this post to the respective blog-hop events below.

♧☆☆☆☆☆☆♧

Bake-Along #72 : Christmas Theme - Biscotti

Linking this post to Bake-Along event organized by the hosts (Joyce, Lena or Zoe)

Cook-Your-Books #19 @ kitchen flavours

I'm submitting this post to Cook and Celebrate (Christmas 2014), organized by Yen from Eat your heart out, Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids.

 "My Treasured Recipes #4 - Ho Ho Ho It's Christmas (Dec 2014)" hosted by Miss B of Everybody Eats Well in Flanders and co-hosted by Charmaine of Mimi Bakery House.