Hazelnut & Apricot Biscotti

These hazelnut and apricot biscotti hold to the old Tuscan way: no butter, no oil, just eggs, sugar, flour, and a low slow double bake that drives every drop of moisture out and leaves cookies hard enough to keep for weeks in a tin.

Toasted hazelnuts bring buttery depth and the signature snap, while finely diced dried apricots tuck pockets of chewy sweetness into the otherwise crisp cookie. The egg wash brushed over each log before baking gives that signature glossy crackled top.

The two-stage bake is what defines biscotti. The first 35-minute bake sets the logs into a soft loaf-cake texture. After slicing diagonally, a second 10-minute bake at lower heat dries them into the crunchy dunkers Italians have lived with for centuries.

Serve with espresso, dessert wine, or a tall glass of cold milk if you want to break tradition.

Pro Tips

• Toast the hazelnuts first, then rub them in a clean kitchen towel to remove the bitter brown skins. Skipping this step leaves a slightly papery, astringent finish.
• Cut the slices on a sharp diagonal at ¾ inch thick. Thinner slices bake brittle, thicker slices stay too soft in the middle.
• The dough is dry and crumbly by design. Add only a teaspoon of water at a time if needed, otherwise the biscotti spread instead of holding their log shape.
• Let the logs cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Hot biscotti crumble under the knife.

Variations

• Swap apricots for dried cranberries and pistachios for a Christmas-red-and-green version.
• Add 1 tablespoon of fresh orange zest to the dough for citrus brightness alongside the hazelnut.
• Dip half of each cooled biscotti in melted dark chocolate for a bakery-style finish.