Macadamia Shortbread Biscotti
Submitted by sanz
Buttery shortbread-style biscotti loaded with whole macadamia nuts, flavored with vanilla and almond extract. Twice-baked to a golden, crisp snap.
YIELD
30 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
50 minREADY
1 hrsThese biscotti break the rules in the best way. Traditional biscotti use oil or no fat at all, but this version goes full shortbread with a half cup of unsalted butter. The result is a richer, more tender cookie that still has that signature twice-baked crunch.
Whole macadamia nuts stud every slice, and their buttery, slightly sweet crunch pairs beautifully with the almond and vanilla extracts in the dough. At 7 ½ ounces, the nut-to-dough ratio is generous. You’ll get macadamia in every single bite.
The shaping method here is clever. Instead of free-forming the dough on the sheet, you shape each loaf in plastic wrap, freeze it briefly for 10 to 12 minutes to firm up, then unwrap and bake. This gives you clean, uniform loaves without sticky hands.
After the first bake, let the loaves cool 5 minutes before slicing. Cut ¾ to 1 inch thick, stand the slices upright on the sheet, and bake again at a lower temperature until golden on top but barely colored on the cut sides. That second bake is what gives biscotti their dry, dunkable crunch.
Pro Tips
- Don’t freeze the dough longer than 12 minutes. Over-frozen dough won’t spread properly during baking and you’ll get squat, thick loaves.
- Use a long, sharp knife for slicing. Sawing or using a dull blade will crumble the fragile loaf.
- Remove thinner end slices earlier during the second bake. They’ll overbrown while the center slices are still perfect.
- Handle these gently. The high butter content makes them more fragile than traditional biscotti until fully cooled.
Variations
- Dip one end of the cooled biscotti in melted white chocolate for an elegant finish.
- Replace almond extract with coconut extract to double down on the tropical macadamia flavor.
- Add ½ cup of dried tropical fruit (mango, papaya) to the dough for fruity pockets.
Ingredients
Directions
Adjust rack high in oven, about ⅓ to ¼ down from top.
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃).
Use a flat-sided cookie sheet or any other sheet turned upside down.
Line the sheet with parchment paper or foil, shiny side up.
In small bowl of electric mixer beat butter until soft.
Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts, salt, and sugar.
Then beat in the egg and on low speed, gradually add the flour and beat only until incorporated.
Remove from mixer and with spatula, stir in the nuts.
Work with half the dough at a time.
Place it by heaping tablespoons in a strip about 9 inches long down the middle of a piece of plastic wrap about 15 inches long.
Lift the 2 long sides of the wrap and bring them together on top of the strip.
Then, pressing gently on the plastic wrap with your hands, shape the strip into a smooth loaf about 9 inches long, 2 inches wide and 1inch thick.
Turn upside down and smooth the other side.
Repeat with second half of dough add a second legth of plastic wrap.
Place them in the freezer for only 10 to 12 minutes (no longer), so they will become nonsticky enough to be unwrapped.
Unwrap the packages of dough and place them across the sheet widthwise with plenty of space in the midle and on the ends.
These will spread out to 4 inches or more in width.
Bake for 25 minutes, reversing sheet front to back once during baking.
When done, the tops will be pale with golden spots and the edges will be slightly darker.
Remove from oven and reduce temp to 300℉ (150℃).
The baked loaves will be fragile.
Carefully slide the parchment off the sheet onto a cutting board.
If the edges are too dark or too uneven, without waiting trim them slightly using a long and sharp knife.
Let the loaves wait 5 minutes before you slice them.
With a long, thin, sharp knife cut the loaves crosswise or on a slight angle into slices ¾ to 1 inch wide.
Carefully place the slices on the cookie sheet standing upright.
When oven has reduced temperature to 300℉ (150℃), bake for 25 more minutes, reversing the sheet front to back once during baking.
When done, the slices should be golden on the tops but only slightly colored on the cut sides.
The end slices and any thinner slices will take less time.
They should be removed one by one as they are ready.
Place the baked slices on a brown paper bag or on a double thickness of paper towels to cool.
Handle very carefully and store in an airtight container.
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