As the chef and owner of Bar Oscar in Covington, I started my culinary career as a bread baker. I’ve enjoyed making these cookies wherever I’ve worked, and they’re always popular. This is my grandmother’s recipe, and it’s the type of food on which we hang our hat: simple foods done really well. I believe in sourcing the best ingredients I can from local farmers—people who care about what they do. For this biscotti, buy the best almonds and chocolate you can find. I like to tell people that a recipe is a guideline. Adjust it to your preferences. If you like pistachios, use those instead of almonds. If you prefer white chocolate, use it. As long as you keep the proportions the same, you will likely create something really delicious.
by Chris Wilkins
Ingredients
• 2¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cups granulated sugar
• 2¼ cups chopped toasted almonds
• ½ cup chopped chocolate
(I use a 70% dark chocolate bar)
• 1 egg, beaten for egg wash
Chris Wilkins
“This is my grandmother’s recipe, and it’s the type of food on which we hang our hat: simple foods done really well.”
Directions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Sift together, set aside. Combine eggs and vanilla extract, set aside. Beat the butter and sugar together in a stand mixer fitted with a beater attachment on medium-low speed for about three minutes, until the mixture resembles wet sand. Reduce the speed to low and gradually add eggs (one at a time) until the mixture is smooth. This will take another two minutes. Add the sifted-together dry ingredients (not the almonds and chocolate yet) and mix on low speed until the mixture is mostly uniform but some dry bits of flour remain. Add almonds and chocolate. Mix for 30 seconds until the mixture is uniform. Feel free to do this part by hand to avoid overmixing the cookie dough and making it tough. Turn out the mixture on a very lightly floured surface, and roll into a log, roughly eight inches in length. It should have the thickness of a soda can. Place the log onto a baking sheet lined with parchment. Lightly press down on the log to flatten the top. Brush the top with the beaten egg. Bake for 35–40 minutes until it’s a deep shade of brown and the top has split. Allow to cool for 20 minutes, then slice the log into one-inch strips on a bias. Place the cookies back into the oven for 10–15 minutes, until well toasted. Allow the cookies to cool, then store them in an airtight container. Makes 12–15 one-inch-thick cookies.
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