Thyme, Orange, Almond and Chocolate Biscotti

In attempt to fully indulge myself in American culture this year, I have acquired the habit of drinking coffee everyday. I always like to accompany my daily brew with something sweet on which to nibble. Back in England, I would always have a stash of chocolate digestives, chocolate bunnies (around Easter time) and other chocolate treats to consume with my daily cup of Earl Grey. I believe that it is only fair that my coffee has a sweet companion too!

I decided to stay away from the giant cakes and muffins (as I would like to return back to England a similar size to that which I was when I left), and found out that Americans enjoy a nice chunk of biscotti with their coffee. That sounded like the perfectly-sized treat for my coffee!

Needless to say, a student life isn't the most affluent of lifestyles. I decided that by making my own biscotti, I am not only saving money, but have the ability to choose the exact flavours I like!

I decided to try out the combination of thyme, orange and dark chocolate. I was toying with the idea of dipping the biscotti in chocolate instead of adding chocolate chips but actually decided to keep the chips in the mixture. I love it when chocolate chips melt in my mouth with hot coffee... bliss!

As for the flavours, I think that they all go very well together. The thyme and orange add a refreshing aroma to the biscotti, the almonds add the perfect crunch and I have already mentioned the chocolate, above.

The beauty of biscotti is that you can add practically anything to it! Cranberries, figs, cinnamon, anise, rosemary, walnuts, lemon, pistachios, pumpkin, pecans, coffee, brazil nuts, ginger, macadamia nuts, honey, poppy seeds, coconut, raisins and the list goes on and on!

The only issue with these delighful chunks of biscuit is the unfortunate fact that they leave crumbs absolutely everywhere! I guess that'll teach me to use a plate for once...