Awesome Basic Biscotti
Submitted by LindaStone
Almond biscotti baked the classic Italian way: twice in the oven for that signature dry, dunkable crunch. A simple base recipe with toasted almonds that keeps for months in a tin.
YIELD
36 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
30 minREADY
1 hrsBiscotti means twice-cooked, and that second trip through the oven is the whole secret to their famous crackly, dunk-ready crunch. This is a stripped-down base recipe, just butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and toasted almonds, which makes it the kind of formula you can riff on forever once you have the method down.
Toasting the almonds first is worth the extra step; it deepens their flavor and adds a nutty aroma you lose with raw nuts.
The dough bakes in long logs, then cools just enough to slice cleanly on the diagonal. Lay the slices flat, bake, flip, and bake again to dry them out completely. That double bake is what lets these cookies keep in a tin for months without going stale.
They are firm by design, built for dunking in coffee, espresso, or a glass of vin santo the way Italians do.
Pro Tips
- Cool the logs about 5 minutes before slicing; too hot and they crumble, too cold and they shatter.
- Use a serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to cut clean diagonal slices without crushing the nuts.
- For harder, crunchier biscotti, leave them a few minutes longer on the second bake; pull them sooner if you like a little give.
- Store fully cooled in an airtight tin and they keep for weeks.
Variations
- Add orange or lemon zest plus a splash of almond extract to the dough.
- Swap the almonds for hazelnuts, pistachios, or dried cranberries.
- Dip one cut edge in melted dark chocolate once the cookies have cooled.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃) Toast the almonds until golden, then chop by hand into ¼ inch chunks.
Cream the butter until light, add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs until the mixture is smooth. Add the specific ingredients. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, beat until just mixed. Stir in the almonds.
On a floured board, divide the dough in half and roll each half into a long roll about 1½ inches in diameter and about 10 inches long.
Set the rolls on a baking sheet at least 3 inches apart, bake in the top third of the oven for about 25 minutes, or until they are set and lightly browned on top.
Cool the rolls for 5 minutes or so, then slice diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool on a rack, and keep in a tightly covered tin - they keep for months
Comments
