Vanilla Chip Biscotti

These biscotti skip the usual butter or oil, building their structure from eggs, sugar, flour, and a little cornstarch for tenderness. The lean dough means the cookies turn out genuinely crisp, the way Italian cantucci should be, instead of cakey or short.

Vanilla milk chips fold in at the end, giving each slice creamy white pockets that play against a hint of fresh lemon juice in the dough. The lemon doesn’t read as citrus exactly. It just sharpens the vanilla and keeps the cookie from being one-note sweet.

The two-bake method is non-negotiable for true biscotti. The first bake sets two log-shaped rectangles into a soft loaf. After a brief cool, the loaves get sliced and laid cut-side down for a second bake, which dries the interior to that signature crackle. Resist the urge to brown the tops in the first bake. Pale logs are exactly what you want.

Pro Tips

• Don’t overbake the first round. A toothpick should come out clean but the top should still look pale. Browning early means dry, hard biscotti after the second bake.
• Cool the loaves a full 10 minutes before slicing. Cut too soon and they crumble; too late and they harden and crack under the knife.
• If the chips start to brown during the second bake, turn the oven off and let the biscotti finish in the residual heat.
• Store airtight at room temperature for up to two weeks, or freeze for longer.

Variations

• Stir in ½ cup chopped toasted almonds for a more traditional cantucci.
• Swap vanilla chips for white chocolate chunks and add 1 teaspoon of orange zest.
• Drizzle the cooled biscotti with melted dark chocolate for a dressier finish.