Sweet and savory: you either love it or hate it.
I found myself in a rather heated discussion with someone at work the other day about whether or not it was acceptable to mix sweet and savory in one dish. I was rather surprised to find out that there are people who aren’t fans of the combination. Obviously, my answer was YES IT’S ACCEPTABLE AND IT’S AMAZING. Like a intriguing kick to the taste buds.
These biscotti are – you guessed it – sweet and savory.
Chunks of crushed Ferrero Rocher – milk chocolate, hazelnut spread, and crispy wafer – in a crumbly biscotti with flecks of smokey, salty bacon. It’s a match made in foodie heaven.
I’m no stranger to baking with Ferrero Rocher (see here and here). I’ve always been in love with the candy – every year, in lieu of a traditional orange, my mum would put a little pack of Ferrero Rocher in my stocking as the perfect holiday treat. I’d savour them, trying to eat maybe one a week so they would last until early in the year. That never worked out too well, though… they’d disappear pretty fast.
If the sophisticated packaging doesn’t draw you in (oooh, shiny!) then the taste will. A nutty chocolate shell encasing a crispy wafer and smooth hazelnut center. On their own, they’re delicious. When paired with savory? You can imagine!
I don’t want to toot my own horn here, but these are amazing. One bite is sweet and chocolatey, the next is smokey and salty… And when dipped in your morning coffee? ??
If you make these biscotti for holiday gifts, be sure to save a couple for yourself. Trust me, you’ll want them, especially when you smell them as they come out of the oven.
A few notes on the recipe:
| Bacon Ferrero Rocher Biscotti | Print |
- 20 Ferrero Rocher chocolates
- 12 strips bacon
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg white
- Chocolate, melted, for drizzle (optional)
- Fill a heavy duty ziploc bag with the Ferrero Rochers, and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so. (Chilling these chocolates will keep them from melting when you crush them into pieces.)
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a baking tray with aluminum foil and top with a wire rack. Lay the bacon strips on the wire rack; bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and let cool, patting off any remaining grease. Once cooled, crumble the bacon into large bits and pieces.
- Lower the oven temperature to 325°F.
- Remove the bag of Ferrero Rochers from the fridge and use your fist to smash into large pieces. Don't pulverize them -you want large pieces.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add in eggs (not the egg white) and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add flour mixture to butter mixture in 2 additions, mixing after each addition until just combined. Stir in bacon bits and Ferrero Rocher pieces. At this point, the dough will be a bit crumbly, but that's okay! Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and gently mold with your hands until the dough sticks together. It won't be perfectly smooth, but it should hold it's shape.
- Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a 12x5-inch rectangle. Place 2 inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet; press to flatten slightly.
- Liberally brush the egg white over the tops of biscotti. Bake for about 30 minutes until lightly golden and just firm to the touch. Let cool on pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer logs to a cutting board. Using a chef's knife, cut diagonally (at about a 45° angle) into ½-inch slices. Stand each piece up on it's edge and place back on the baking sheet. Bake at 300° for another 30-35 minutes until dry and browned. Let cool completely.
- Optional: drizzle melted chocolate over the tops of the biscotti. Let sit for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
- Store in an airtight container for up to a week.
How can people NOT like sweet and savoury together?!?! And this ^ Bacon and Ferrero Rocher *swoon* how have I not tried this combination before. It sounds like the ultimate dessert-for-breakfast situation. Yum!
I know, right!? Sweet and savory is my all-time weakness. Bacon and chocolate? Heaven! Enjoy these biscotti, James! PS, love your blog!