Cardamom & Cacao Nib Biscotti

30 min

12 biscotti

Food Thoughts have been working with Great British Chefs, the team of top chefs and food bloggers behind the fastest growing food website in the UK. This delightfully crunchy Cardamom Cacao Nib Biscotti recipe is a fabulous bake. The addition of the intense cacao nibs into this Italian classic adds a beautiful hit of chocolate flavour. Food Thoughts Roasted Cacao Nibs are great for baking thanks to their crunch and offer a healthier alternative to chocolate chips.

This recipe’s guest chef, Urvashi Roe finds food, baking, cooking and eating a therapeutic relief from every day work and family life.

“Food plays a very important part of my holidays. Whether it’s a weekend outing or a family holiday, my research always starts with the food. This year we’ve chosen Italy. We don’t have very long, so rather than choose a resort, we are taking in the cities of Verona, Milan and Venice. I am of course excited about the sights and shopping, but most of all I want to eat. Before I go away, I always try to get my children accustomed to the food they’ll be eating when we are away. We go to the library and take out recipe books, as well as guide books. We’ll make a range of dishes – some familiar and some not so. It’s a really good way to start preparing and getting excited for holidays. As a vegetarian it’s hard eating out when there are no English menus. Especially when you want to get off the beaten track a little and the menus don’t have any English translations. That’s a great thing. It means the clientele is mainly local. But it’s problematic when you don’t speak the language very well.

This is why I love the coffee shops. I’m not overly fussed about the coffee, but I love the range of mini desserts and biscuits they have on the counter. I can point to something and know it won’t have any meat in it. Each stop heralds a different treat. The range on display almost always has varieties of biscotti. So as a ‘weaning treat’ to Italian treats, I’m backing these amazing Cardamom and Cacao Nib Biscotti. They are twice baked, usually oblong-shaped biscuits that are perfect for dipping. Either into Vin Santo or coffee. There are so many combinations, but generally there is a dried fruit component and a nut component. I’ve used just Food Thoughts Roasted Cacao Nibs in this recipe, but I also liked a batch I made with dried cranberries. You can play around adding whatever spices, fruit or nuts you fancy”.