Hazelnut and Ginger Biscotti with Dark Chocolate – A Great Christmas Gift (or Coffee Treat)

A Great Christmas Gift

I wasn’t planning on doing any Christmas food gifting this year. We’d only just returned from our trip to Sri Lanka and South India, and I honestly didn’t think I had the time or energy.

Then Nisha arrived with the latest Dish magazine, full of Christmas food ideas. I flicked through, and of course ended up at the back page. One look at these hazelnut and ginger biscotti and that was it — plans changed.

These weren’t really intended as gifts (although they could be). I was more thinking they’d be handy to have on hand for when people drop by for coffee. They looked sturdy, full of flavour, and perfect for dunking — especially in a good strong coffee.

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My Take on the Recipe

It all started rather badly.

Earlier that day, I managed to cut my hand while preparing lunch. That probably should have been my sign to abandon baking altogether — but I pressed on anyway.

First hiccup: I slightly overcooked the hazelnuts while roasting them in the oven. They were usable, but had that faint burnt, acrid smell, so I scrapped them and roasted another batch. Luckily, I’d bought an extra packet.

Next problem: the dough felt quite dry. Because of my cut finger, I called on Basker to help. He pulled and squashed the dough together and shaped the logs, though they probably could have been firmer. It’s one of those tasks where you really need to feel the dough and be happy with the consistency.

They baked fine, but I didn’t manage to slice them as thinly as I should have. So yes — I’ll admit it — these are thick biscotti, generously coated in dark chocolate.

That said, they actually taste very good. The ginger flavour really comes through, and chocolate and ginger are always a winning combination in my book.

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Nisha’s Opinion

Nisha was very clear in her assessment.

She thought they were far too rustic and not how biscotti are meant to look. The shape needs work, the slices should be thinner, and overall they need refinement.

However — and this is important — she did say they taste good. Her verdict was basically: nice flavour, but make a few more batches and practise. Fair enough.

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What I’d Do Differently Next Time

I roasted the hazelnuts dry in the oven for 10 minutes at 180°C, which was too long. They were crunchy, but I had to rub off all the skins to get rid of that slightly burnt smell.

Last night, while watching Jamie Oliver’s Quick & Easy Christmas, I noticed he dry roasted hazelnuts in a frying pan instead. That makes much more sense — you can smell when they’re ready and stop straight away. I’ll definitely do that next time.

I also think the dough was a little dry. Next time, I’d increase the butter slightly — from 50g to about 75g — to help bring everything together more smoothly. Another option would be adding 1–2 teaspoons of milk or cream if the dough feels too crumbly. That should allow for a firmer log and thinner slicing.

Even with all the hiccups, these biscotti are still very enjoyable. Thick, yes — but full of flavour, perfect with coffee, and definitely worth another go. And next time? Hopefully without the cut finger and kitchen mishaps.

Recipe

To print the recipe, simply click the ‘Print’ button below and save your PDF for easy reference!

🍪 ☕ 🍫 🎄 🎁 🌰 🫚 👩‍🍳 ✨

🍪 ☕ 🍫 🎄 🎁 🌰 🫚 👩‍🍳 ✨

Make sure you don’t forget this one — save it to Pinterest or pass it on to a friend.

♡ Janet