Growing up, one of my fondest memories was spending time with my grandmother, who was an excellent cook and baker, and the matriarch of our family. She visited her children and grandchildren regularly, and I couldn’t wait for her to stay with us because I knew she’d bake or cook something special.

One particular visit stands out in my memory when my grandmother came to stay with us for the holidays. I was nine years old, sitting at the kitchen table doing homework, when she grabbed a cup of almonds, tossed them onto a pan, and roasted them until golden. When they cooled, she spooned a bit of Nutella onto a plate, dipped a few almonds, and handed them to me. In Italian, she whispered that roasted almonds and chocolate are the perfect match — and when you combine them into biscotti, it becomes unforgettable.

“The delicious combination of roasted almonds and chocolate is unmatched — when you bake it into biscotti, it becomes the most delightful cookie you’ll ever taste.”

She was right. The balance of sweet chocolate and nutty almond was heavenly, and when she finally baked her chocolate almond biscotti, the whole house smelled divine.

Chocolate Almond Biscotti Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 XL eggs
• 6 tbsp shortening
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
• ¾ cup whole roasted almonds
• 1 cup chocolate chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat sugar and shortening until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla and almond extracts.
5. Mix in dry ingredients, almonds, and chocolate until dough forms. Do not over mix!
6. Shape into a 12″ x 2″ log and bake 30 minutes until firm.
7. Cool for 5 minutes, then slice into ½-inch biscotti pieces.
8. Bake slices 10–15 minutes more until crisp and golden.

After about 45 minutes, the smell of freshly baked biscotti filled the house. My grandmother and mother sat at the kitchen table, dunking their chocolate almond biscotti into espresso and chatting about life. That memory, and her recipe, has stayed with me ever since.

So give this recipe a try — your taste buds will thank you! And if you’d rather skip straight to the good part, shop our handcrafted Chocolate Almond Biscotti here. Don’t forget to share your results in the comments and tag us on Instagram @CrunchyBiscotti.