Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti (Paleo & Vegan) (2024)

09.07.12

By Lea On 09.07.12 · 51 Comments · In Dessert, Recipes

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Living in Italy many years ago I first became acquainted with biscotti. It was long enough ago that biscotti were not well-known in the United States. After returning home, I hosted a feast for my extended family that included an authentic almond biscotti recipe. It was something new for my family. The recipe I used was from an Italian cookbook I had purchased in that country and the resulting confections were quite crunchy and dense. In fact, I will never forget how my great aunt Ann enjoyed them. She enjoyed them in spite of the fact that she might have popped her jaw out of place trying to crunch one!

The recipe I have for you today is quite different. This is a grain-free, paleo and vegan recipe for chocolate pistachio biscotti. It uses almond and coconut flours and the resulting cookies are nicely crunchy but not so dense and hard that you will break a tooth or hurt your jaw. My great aunt Ann has passed away now, but I’m quite sure she would have enjoyed these biscotti even more than the “authentic” version.

School is back in session for us this week. After school my boys and I enjoy having a snack together and talking about our day. Taking the time to connect with loved ones is important. But it is also important to nourish other friendships by spending time together.Sharing food and drink can be an important part of bonding. It is also a great way to show hospitality – something that seems almost a lost art these days.

I love the poem “A Time To Talk” by Robert Frost. It reminds us of a simpler time when life had a more leisurely pace. It speaks of a man working in his field but taking time to enjoy the company of a good friend who had stopped by. He forgets, for a little while, his responsibilities and chores and simply enjoys spending time with his friend. We should all take a little “time to talk” with people we love and maybe even open our homes in hospitality to someone new, someone who might become a friend.

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)

Paleo Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Ingredients

1 cup blanched almond flour (revised to 150 grams per my cookbook “Sweet Paleo” – this is technically 1 1/2 cups (scant compared to measuring with cup rather than electric scale because ofpacking)
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon celtic sea salt
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup unsalted pistachios
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Add almond flour, coconut flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt to a food processor and pulse until combined.
Add the maple syrup and pulse until you get a dough. (Allow a little time for the coconut flour to absorb the moisture.)
Remove the dough from the food processor and work in the pistachios and chocolate chips with a spoon. (You could do this with your hands but the dough will be very sticky.)
Form the dough into one log on a baking sheet lined with either parchment paper or a Silpat (silicon pad).
Bake for 15 minutes then allow to cool completely – about one hour.
Cut the dough log into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal with a sharp knife. (I used a bread knife.)
Place the slices on their sides on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
Allow the biscotti to cool completely before serving. They should be fairly crispy.

Makes 10-12 biscotti

Indulge in the lost art of hospitality. Take the time to share some of these paleo chocolate pistachio biscotti with a friend.