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Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

04.30.15

Chocolate Biscotti

If this blog accurately reflected the amount of biscotti that has come out of my kitchen in the last couple of months, I would have to seriously consider changing my blog name to The Biscotti Merchant. A couple of months ago, I made this Vegan Almond Biscotti and have been obsessed with finding a chocolate version that I like just as much. I found a ton of different recipes to try. Some used eggs, others just the whites. Some used oil, some used butter, some used both and others used none. I wasn’t sure how these ingredients affected the final texture, so like an obsessive baking weirdo, I just tested them all. I’m not even kidding, but I’ve literally made about 20 batches of biscotti in the last few months.

The good news is, I found a favorite! By far, the winner was David Lebovitz’s Chocolate Biscotti. It calls for whole eggs but no butter or oil. It’s crunchy enough to be distinguishable as biscotti and not just a biscotti shaped cookie, but it’s not so hard that it will break your teeth. The best part is that these biscotti get better with age. I actually liked them better on day 3 than when they were freshly baked.

I decided to veganize David Lebovitz’s original recipe by replacing the egg with a chia egg, although you can use a regular egg in this if you prefer (you’ll just need to omit the water). I also replaced some of the flour with leftover hazelnut meal from making hazelnut milk, but you could also use almond or pecan meal in its place. This recipe makes a small batch of biscotti, but can easily be doubled.

Oh, and I don’t want to sound like Ina or anything, but use good cocoa powder, The majority of the flavor in these biscotti comes from the cocoa powder. My absolute favorite brand is Valrhona which I’ll splurge on once in a while, but I usually use Cacao Barry, which is a little more reasonable and also excellent quality.

Chocolate Biscotti
Chocolate Biscotti
Chocolate Biscotti

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12 Comments · Cookies, Vegan

Toasted Hazelnut Milk

04.07.15

Hazelnut Milk

I know what you’re thinking. What is the beige-y liquid and where is my cake? Don’t worry, cake is on the way, but in the mean time, I’m bringing you my new favorite thing, toasted hazelnut milk. Ever since my vegan month, I’ve cut back significantly on dairy, but I’ve been spending a fortune on almond milk. Store bought almond milk can be expensive, flavorless, and makes a lame cappuccino. I hate lame cappuccinos.

My mom had been suggesting that I make my own almond milk for a while now and even sent me some cheesecloth in the mail, so I took the hint, made a batch, and I’m never looking back. Nut milk in everything! That sentence made me slightly uncomfortable.

I tried the next batch with hazelnuts, and got the idea from Smitten Kitchen’s blog to make the batch after that with toasted hazelnuts. Mind blowing. Toasted hazelnut cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, milkshakes, hot chocolate, cold brew…the possibilities are endless. I may or may not have tested all of these.

Hazelnut Milk
Hazelnut Milk

Most recipes I found use a ratio of at least 3 cups of water per one cup of nuts, which works well for drinking or using in cereal. For coffee creamer or making espresso based drinks, I would recommend a ratio of 1 1/2 cups of water to 1 cup of nuts. You can add any flavors to this that you like- a pinch of salt, a tablespoon or two of maple syrup or honey if you’re not vegan, and/or some vanilla extract. I’ve even read some recipes where people blended this up with cacao nibs. I haven’t tried it yet, but it’s next on my list.

Oh, and don’t forget to save the leftover hazelnut meal. Spread it out on a baking sheet, put it in the oven on the lowest setting for a couple of hours, and let it dry out, and if it gets clumpy, pulse it in the food processor a few times. I’ve got some fun recipes coming up with hazelnut meal, so stay tuned!

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9 Comments · Vegan

Matcha Almond Linzer Cookies with Strawberry Jam

03.08.15

Matcha Linzer Cookies

If you’ve been following by blog for a while, you know that I always make 2 cakes for my birthday. Where is cake number two?, you ask. I know it’s been more than two weeks since my birthday, but it’s still in the process. In the mean time, I’m bringing you these tasty little treats.

I’ve always suspected that St. Patrick’s Day was a holiday made up by the most obnoxious people so they could pinch you and get away with it. As a little kid with immigrant parents who did not understand the importance of making sure I wore something green to school on St. Patty’s day, I got pinched a lot, but this year, I will be armed with green cookies. I’ll carry them around and snack on them all day if I have to. I might even share if you don’t pinch me.

Matcha Linzer Cookies
Matcha Linzer Cookies
Matcha Linzer Cookies

Linzer cookies haven been on my mind since Christmas, when I saw them pop up on so many other food blogs. I can’t resist a pretty dessert and finally got around to making some of my own. ‘Tis the season for all things green, so matcha ended up being the flavor of choice. I ultimately decided to pair it with strawberry jam since I adore the combo and could drink strawberry green tea by the bucket full.

This is a vegan version of the traditional cookie, made with coconut oil rather than butter. I used refined coconut oil since I didn’t want another competing flavor in the mix. If you use unrefined, just know that some coconut flavor may come through. If you’re not a fan of matcha, you can leave it out. This recipe is customizable with both the flavor of the cookie and the jam. Hazelnut or pecan meal can be subbed for the almond meal. If you want a brighter green cookie, omit the vanilla extract and use almond flour instead of almond meal so you don’t see the flecks of almond skin.

Matcha Linzer Cookies

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19 Comments · Cookies, Holiday, Vegan

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Welcome to the Cake Merchant! I’m Natasha, the cake maker behind this blog. Here, I share my favorite cakes, baking tips, dessert experiments, and the occasional picture of my dog... READ MORE

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