See those melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chips? If you’re a chocoholic, just one bite of these Double Chocolate Biscotti will have you singing Fred Astaire’s “Heaven, I’m in heaven.”

I think these cookies are pretty intense, what with their unsweetened cocoa powder and semisweet chips. But this is my adaptation of Triple (!!) Chocolate Biscotti from Bon Appétit. I left out the third player: white chocolate chips. That’s mostly because I just don’t like white chocolate. But I also took my lead from on-line comments like “too sticky to cut” and “too sweet.” Instead, I upped the intensity quotient with a dab of espresso powder.

Normally I recommend a wine with recipes. But if there ever was a cookies-and-milk pairing, this is it.

Which is to say these biscotti are perfect for everyone. Perfect for kids, great for Santa when he drops down the chimney, brilliant for gifting, and fabulous to have around the house for your own special holiday treat.

Like all biscotti, they’re simple to make. Double-baking to the preferred level of dryness is the time-consuming part. (I skipped the half-hour in the refrigerator without any problem. But if your dough is too wet to shape, chilling can help.)

The recipe makes 30 biscotti. Double it if you’re gifting. But if it’s for home, stick to one batch and be forewarned: They’re utterly addictive!

DOUBLE-CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
Makes 30 biscotti

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp espresso powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. and lightly oil large baking sheet.

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt into medium bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl to blend. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in semisweet chips.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet, making two 10- to 11-inch-long strips, spaced 3 inches apart. Using metal spatula or wet fingertips, shape strips into 11- by 2 1/2-inch logs. Refrigerate 30 minutes.

Bake logs in middle of oven until tops are cracked and dry and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Lift logs onto work surface. Using serrated knife, gently cut warm logs crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on two baking sheets. Bake biscotti until just dry to touch, about 8 minutes. Turn biscotti over. Bake until top is dry to touch, about 8 minutes. (Stand up and bake for about five more minutes for drier biscotti.) Cool on cookie rack.

Biscotti keep in airtight containers 1 week, or frozen 1 month.