I don't have one favorite biscotti recipe, but Salted Caramel Chips Biscotti is up there with the best! As you can tell by the name, it's biscotti that is dipped in melted Hershey's Salted Caramel Chips. The inspiration behind this recipe was basically a craving for something sweet and a little salty. That, plus I needed to use some Hershey's Salted Caramel Chips. They are not always on grocery store shelves, so if I see them I buy them and keep them around. Other brands are okay, but the Hershey's (and I promise this is not a sponsored post!) are my personal favorite. And just to clarify, they are caramel flavored chips, not actual caramel bits. They're more like white chips, but with a salty burnt sugar flavor.
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Ingredients in This Biscotti
The Caramel Chips Biscotti calls for pantry staples, plus a couple of specialty ingredients, namely a liqueur and the caramel chips themselves. You'll need flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, butter and eggs. For the liqueur, brandy is perfect, but if you don't have brandy you can use Irish Cream, Frangelico, Creme de Cacao or another liqueur or something like orange juice. These ingredients form the foundation of the biscotti, providing structure and sweetness. To enhance the flavor profile, almond extract and vanilla infuse the biscotti with a subtle nuttiness. The toasted and chopped whole almonds bring crunch to each bite, adding depth to the texture. However, in my opinion the star of the show is the icing, which is just the melted caramels chips.
Salted Caramel Chips Biscotti Texture
The texture of the biscotti is similar to some we ate while in Tuscany. When you take a bite, you'll experience a unique contrast of textures - crunchy yet almost soft and crumbly, ensuring a satisfying mouthfeel without the risk of breaking a tooth. This balance makes them perfect for enjoying with a cup of coffee or tea. I'm not sure how well the caramel flavor of the chips would go with Vin Santo. In terms of flavor, you'll taste both vanilla and almond. And then there are the melted caramel chips, bringing in that milky, salty, burnt sugar flavor.
Hershey's Salted Caramel Chips Biscotti Dough
Making the dough is easy. You measure out and mix the flour, baking powder and salt, then set that aside. In a mixing bowl, stir together sugar, melted butter, eggs, alcohol and extracts. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir, then stir in almonds to make a soft dough. At this point the dough should be a little bit soft, so cover the bowl and chill for 30 minutes.
Shaping and Baking the Dough
Once the dough is chilled, preheat your oven to 350°F and begin by forming the dough into two 8x2 inch logs and putting them about 5 inches apart on the baking sheet. They will not spread much. Place the logs in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes until they are lightly golden. After baking, allow the loaves to cool for around 30 minutes before slicing them into ¾-inch pieces using a serrated knife. For a crisper texture, thinner slices are recommended. Once sliced, reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and arrange the biscotti on a baking sheet. Bake low and slow for an additional 20-30 minutes to achieve the perfect crunch.
Let Cool, Dip or Drizzle
Let the biscotti cool completely on a rack. To finish them off, melt some caramel chips in the microwave and spread the melted caramel over the bottom of the biscotti. Alternatively, you can drizzle the melted caramel over the top. Let the caramel set before serving.
As mentioned, these are not long and slim but rather kind of stubby compared to other biscotti. With the almond extract, the almond flavor is pretty strong, which in my opinion is a good thing. If you don't like almond extract you can swap it out for more vanilla.
Update: I made a version using macadamia nuts and drizzled it the cookies with white chocolate.
Melted Caramel Chips Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups minus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 240 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt plus a pinch
- ⅔ cup sugar 135 grams
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (84 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons brandy or other type of alcohol
- 1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup whole almonds toasted and chopped
- 1 cup Hershey's caramel chips
Instructions
- Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together sugar, melted butter, eggs, alcohol and extracts.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir, then stir in almonds to make a soft dough.
- Cover bowl and chill for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
- Dampen hands and shape into two logs each about 8 inches long and 2 inches wide. The logs will not spread much.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack and let cool for 30 minutes ( I usually just do this for 15).
- Cut loaves into ¾-inch slices with a serrated knife ( the thinner the blade, the better).
- Reduce heat to 300 degrees F.
- Stand the biscotti on a clean baking sheet and bake for about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.
- Melt the caramel chips in the microwave using 50% power and stirring every 30 to 45 seconds. Spread melted caramel over bottom of biscotti, then stand them on a cutting board or small tray lined with parchment. Chill until the caramel chips set, then lift from parchment. Alternatively, you can just drizzle the melted chips over the biscotti.
Anna says
Got it! Thanks!
Mike F says
Nice recipe, going to try it out this weekend. We love Biscotti. It looks like there's a error in the ingredients. I am sure the first ingredient would be flour but it isn't listed, only the quantity is (2 cups minus 2 tablespoons 240 grams). Thank you for all your great recipes!