Almond Biscotti
I love these biscotti. They are just the thing to dunk in a cup of hot coffee or tea. Besides chopped almonds, they are flavored with Amaretto, lemon zest and lemon juice. The almonds and lemon work really well together.
The hard texture of biscotti comes from twice baking them. First the dough is formed into a log and partially baked. Then the “log” of dough is sliced- and the slices are baked a second time. For the second baking, most recipes tell you to turn the biscotti halfway through the baking process. This is so they dry and crisp up on both sides evenly.
I have a much easier way to handle the second bake. Just place a cooling rack on your baking sheet. Then arrange the slices on top of the cooling rack. Now, when you bake the slices- the heat dries them out and crisps them up on both sides. No need for turning them over mid-bake.
Biscotti are so easy to make, I wonder why more people don’t make their own. The ones from the store are never as good.
So here is the recipe. I hope you try to make your own biscotti, if you haven’t before.
Almond Biscotti
2 c. flour
1 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
1 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 T. Amaretto liqueur
1 T. lemon juice
2 t. grated lemon peel
2 c. coarsely chopped almonds, about 9 oz.
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Beat sugar and eggs together until light and lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Mix in liqueur, juice and peel. Beat in dry ingredients and stir in almonds. Mixture will be very sticky. Spray large baking sheet with non-stick coating. By spoonfuls transfer dough to baking sheet forming 2 14-inch long strips. Using floured hands shape each strip into 2 1/2 inch wide log. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 30 minutes. Logs should be light golden and firm to touch. Transfer to cutting board and using a serrated knife, cut into 3/4-inch thick slices. Place a cooling rack on your baking sheet and arrange slices on top of the cooling rack, cut side down. Bake 11-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely. Can be stored in airtight container for a week. Makes about 40.
Whole Wheat Biscotti
I love biscotti. They are so easy to make. I try to make a batch every couple of weeks. These are made with whole wheat flour. I think it gives them a nice flavor and texture. I like this recipe so much, I normally double the recipe when I make them. I store them in a cookie jar and they stay crisp for a couple of weeks.
Helpful hint: Since biscotti are twice-baked you bake the loaves until just firm, then slice and return the sliced biscotti to the oven to finish baking and get really crisp. Problem is you have to turn them half-way through the second bake to be sure they cook evenly. Tedious. Instead- place a cooling rack on the baking sheet then place the freshly sliced biscotti on them for the second bake. The air circulates under them and you don’t have to turn them over halfway through. Simple.
Whole Wheat Biscotti
¾ c. whole wheat flour
½ c. all purpose flour
1/3 c. sugar
1 t. baking powder
¼ t. salt
½ c. walnuts
¼ c. golden raisins
Combine all. Add.
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
Shape into loaf (2”x11”) on oiled sheet. Bake at 350-degrees for 20 minutes. Remove loaf to cutting board. Slice thin and place slices on a cooling rack on a baking sheet then return to oven, reduce heat to 300-degrees bake 25 minutes.
Feel free to dip one end of cooled biscotti in melted chocolate or drizzle them with melted chocolate, if you like. You can also change which nuts and dried fruit you use. I also sometimes make these with all spelt flour in place of the whole wheat and white flour.
Chocolate Biscotti
I don’t think I ever met a biscotti I didn’t love. These chocolate biscotti are so good. They are not too sweet and have plenty of chocolate flavor. If you haven’t made your own biscotti before, you should. These crisp, twice baked cookies, are easy to make. The second bake is where biscotti get their famous crunch. They are baked until they have this lovely crisp texture, meant to be dipped in coffee. Of course they are also good dipped in tea or even a glass of milk.
Handy tip: Once biscotti are baked the first time, they are sliced and baked a second time. Most recipes call for you to turn the biscotti over half way through the second bake- to get them crisp/dried evenly. To save time, I just place a cooling rack on my baking sheet before the second bake. I then lay the sliced biscotti on the cooling rack. Now, during baking, air flows under the biscotti and there is no need to turn them over while baking. Saves time.
Chocolate Biscotti
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. butter, room temperature
2 eggs
3/4 c. chocolate syrup
2 1/2 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. chocolate chips (mini, regular or flavored)
1 c. chopped nuts, optional
3 oz. white chocolate
Grease 2 9×5-inch loaf pans and set aside. Beat sugar and butter together than beat in eggs and syrup. Beat in dry ingredients. Dough will be soft. Stir in chips and nuts. Divide batter in prepared pans and use spatula to spread evenly. Bake in a 350-degree oven for about 35 minutes. Tester inserted in center should come out clean. Turn loaves onto rack and cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300-degrees. Using a serrated knife cut loaves into 3/4 -inch slices. Place cooling rack on a baking sheet. Place biscotti slices cut side down on cooling rack and bake about 18-19 minutes. Cookies will become harder/crisper as they cool. Cool completely. Melt white chocolate and drizzle over biscotti. Allow to set up. Makes about 2 dozen.
Hazelnut Biscotti
As part of my pantry challenge, I needed to defrost and inventory my freezer. I was so pleased to find a bag of hazelnuts I had forgotten about. I decided to use some of them to make biscotti.
These biscotti are the perfect treat to have with your morning cup of coffee or tea. Crisp, but not too hard, they are studded with crunchy hazelnuts and flavored with vanilla and orange peel. I like them just the way they are, but you could dress them up with a drizzle of powdered sugar glaze. You can also dip one end of each biscotti in melted chocolate.
I don’t know why more people don’t make their own biscotti. They are so easy to make, and you can flavor them to suit your own taste. Once baked, store them in an air tight container. They stay crisp for weeks. Assuming you don’t eat them first!
Biscotti get their distinctive, extra crunchy texture, from being baked not once, but twice. The batter is spread on a cookie sheet and baked until firm. Once cooled and little, the loaf is sliced and the slices are returned to the oven to get baked until crisp and toasted. I put the slices on a cooling rack, placed on the baking sheet, before the second bake. That way, the biscotti toast on both sides evenly. No need to turn them all over half-way through the second bake.
So here is the recipe. I hope if you haven’t made biscotti before, you give them a try.
Hazelnut Biscotti
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
3 eggs
1 c sugar
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. olive oil
1 1/2 t. vanilla
1 t. grated orange peel
1 c. hazelnuts, toasted, peeled and chopped
Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Mix together eggs, sugar, butter, oil, vanilla and peel. Beat until smooth and stir in flour mixture and nuts. Grease a large baking sheet, oil your hands, and place dough on sheet, forming into a 16×4-inch log. Bake at 325-degrees until tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Loaf with spread a bit. Cool 15 minutes and leave oven on. Use serrated knife to cut into 1/2 -inch thick slices. Place cooling rack on a baking sheet. Place slices, cut side down, on cooling rack and return to oven for 20-22 minutes. Cool. Makes about 24.
