Ingredients

• 250g/9oz plain flour (280g/10oz plain flour
• if making the chocolate biscotti)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 250g/9oz caster sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• beaten
• 220g/8oz shelled and chopped pistachios
• 125g/4½oz dried cranberries
• chopped
• 1 lemon
• zest only
• 200g/7oz shelled and chopped hazelnuts
• 125g/4½oz dates
• chopped
• 1 lemon
• zest only
• 50g/1¾oz melted dark chocolate
• cooled to tepid temperature
• 25g/1oz chocolate chips
• 35g/1¼oz chopped almonds
• 1 orange
• zest only
• ½ tsp vanilla essence
• 150g/5½oz good-quality dark chocolate
• 150ml/5fl oz double cream
• 100ml/3½fl oz espresso coffee
• 100g/3½oz small marshmallows
• 100ml/3½fl oz honey

Directions

• For the biscotti base
• preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3 (do not use the fan on your oven).
• Mix together the flour
• baking powder and sugar in a bowl and add the eggs slowly to make a dough.
• For the pistachio and cranberry biscotti
• add the nuts
• cranberries and lemon zest at this point.
• For the hazelnut and date biscotti add the nuts
• dates and lemon zest at this point.
• For the chocolate
• almond and orange biscotti
• add the tepid melted chocolate to the base dough and mix in thoroughly before adding the chocolate chips
• almonds
• orange zest
• and vanilla essence.
• Knead the mixture gently and then separate and roll into two logs. Place on a lined baking tray and bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven.
• Cool slightly and cut into 1-2cm/½-¾in thick slices.
• Return to the tray to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes
• turn over and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden-brown.
• For the mocha sauce
• combine all ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and heat them gently
• stirring constantly until all the marshmallows and chocolate have melted.
• Serve the hot mocha sauce in a cup with the biscotti on the side to dunk in.