Sweets Week: Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti

Happy Fat Tuesday to all my friends preparing for Lent and to those who just enjoy an excuse to eat a Paczki or two. I fall into the latter category although I've been reliably giving up my Starbucks habit for the past few Lenten seasons. It's my Catholic school education. I also have Catholic guilt. I'm not even Catholic.

Nonetheless, I've been doing my fair share of "preparation." This weekend I did the Paczki Run in Hamtramck, Michigan, took a chocolate class, and went to a birthday party all in one day. Each activity (obviously) involved amazing baked goods and confections.

Whether you're preparing for your Lenten fast or baking for a loved one(s), Sweets Week (another theme week from the ladies of Cocktail, Crepe, Beer, Cookie, and Soup Weeks) offers plenty of tasty ideas. I've had the chocolate-pistachio combination on my mind since reading a fellow Michigan blogger's recipe for Double Chocolate Pistachio Muffins. Although this chocolate-nut combination isn't of salted-caramel food-fad stature yet, it seems pretty popular this year. I'm a follower.

While softer than most biscotti, these still stand up well to a cup of coffee but would also be divine with bowl of ice cream and are a great way to show some love. Tomorrow I'm planning to show my coworkers how much I love them by bringing in biscotti and chocolate class leftovers of truffles and chocolate almond bark. ;) I guess there's a little bit of self interest involved too, I need this stuff out of reach. . .

Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti
from Martha Stewart

6 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter, plus more for baking sheet
2 cups of all-purpose flour, plus more for baking sheet
1/2 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of sugar
2 eggs
1 cup of shelled pistachios
1/2 cup of chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350, coat baking sheet with butter and flour. 
2. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer (or your muscles!). Beat in eggs to the sugar and butter mixture until well combined before gradually adding in the flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and pistachios. 
3. Form the dough into a log (approximately 12 by 4 inches) on your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly firm (in hindsight, I would have cooked for another 3-4 minutes). Let the cookie log cool for 5 minutes and reduce the oven temperature to 300. 
4. On a cutting board, cut the cookie log into 1-inch thick slices on a diagonal. Put the slices onto the baking sheet, cut-side down and bake in the oven for 5 minutes (or to your desired crispiness.

Be sure to visit Carrie at Bakeaholic Mama today. She's whipped up a tasty Samoa-inspired dessert dip: Samoa Crack Dip. 

Sunday:
Retro Raspberry Divinity (+Baking-themed Giveaway) - Jeanne @ Inside NanaBread's Head
Red Velvet and Vanilla Marble Cupcakes with Milk Chocolate Buttercream - Kristen @ Comfortably Domestic


Monday:
Chocolate-Dipped Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies – Beka @ Kvetchin’ Kitchen
Mini Meringue Strawberry Pie – Katie @ The Hill Country Cook


Wednesday:
Avocado Peppermint Chocolate Mousse – Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain
Cherry Garcia Chocolate Bark – Megan @ Wanna Be A Country Cleaver

Thursday:
S’Mores on a Stick – Kat @ Tenaciously Yours
White Chocolate Cupcakes with Raspberry Buttercream Frosting – Mads @ La Petite Pancake

Friday:
‘Pucker Up’ Lemon Marshmallows – Allison @ Decadent Philistines Save the World
Mini Chocolate Mousse Pies - Kristen @ Comfortably Domestic

Saturday:
Berry Smoothie Ice Cream Pie (+ a Giveaway) – Anne @ From My Sweet Heart