Biscotti

This is a recipe for Biscotti, a classic almond version of the famous Italian biscuit. It’s crisp, but not crazy hard – why are shop bought biscottis so hard I feel like I’m going to break a tooth??!

Biscotti

Biscotti, in case you are new to it, is that classic Italian biscuit that’s baked twice so it’s crisp, designed for dunking into coffee. It’s everywhere these days, in countless flavours, from classic almond to chocolate, pistachio, citrus, fruit, choc chips – you name it, someone has done it!

Today I’m sharing an almond biscotti which is probably the most traditional flavour. It’s adapted from a Lidia Bastianich recipe, from her book Lidia’s Italian American Kitchen. Though I must admit, I fiddled with it a fair bit. 🙂 Firstly, I massively scaled down from a whopping 6 cups of flour to 2 cups so the whole batch can be baked in one go in a regular home oven. I also tweaked the ratio of ingredients to make the logs easier to slice without crumbling (notorious problem!). So my recipe has a slightly higher hydration than hers, and I also fiddled with the bake times so the first bake is slightly shorter (less crisp log = easier to slice), then my second bake is slightly longer to dry the biscotti out to crisp them up.

But I like to think Lidia would agree that the end result still tastes like her original recipe! 🙂

What you need to make biscotti

Here’s what you need to make biscotti. Note to purists 😄 – I know traditional biscotti does not contain butter or oil but many modern recipes even from Italian chefs do (including Lidia!). I’ve tried it with and without, and I like it with butter for a slightly richer flavour and crispy-but-tender texture. So that’s what I’m sharing today!

• Almonds – Use whole unsalted ones, preferably raw though if you have roasted ones, just reduce the bake time by a few minutes.

• Almond extract – For almond flavour in the biscotti. You can find it at regular grocery stores alongside vanilla.

• Vanilla extract – Look for vanilla extract which is made from real vanilla, rather than vanilla essence which is imitation.

• Plain flour (all-purpose flour) – Just regular flour, not self-raising flour with built in baking powder.

• Butter – As noted above, I know it’s not traditional but I do prefer versions with some fat in them. You could also use olive oil as some recipes do but be prepared for a slightly softer, stickier dough and a slightly softer crispiness. Also, make sure to use light olive oil as the flavour of extra virgin is too strong (as I found out first hand!).

• Sugar – I only use 3/4 cup of sugar in this so the biscotti is less sweet than some versions you’ll come across. Use caster sugar (superfine sugar) if you have it, as you can have confidence the finer grains dissolve more easily in the dough, though if regular sugar is all you’ve got that’s fine too (white sugar, not brown).

• Baking powder – To make the dough rise a bit. If you only have baking soda, you can substitute but reduce to 1/2 teaspoon (because it’s stronger).

• Salt – To bring out the flavours in the biscotti, especially the almond flavour.

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How to make biscotti

Crumbling when slicing the cooked logs is a notorious problem with biscotti. I found that by fully cooling the logs for at least an hour rather than just waiting until they are just cool enough to handle makes it easier to slice the logs into thin slices without crumbling and falling apart. I personally much prefer thinner biscotto over the chunky 2cm thick ones – too much dry biscuit in a mouthful! (Or maybe I need to learn to take smaller bites 😂).

1. Toast the almonds for 10 minutes then fully cool.

   💫 TIP: I keep them whole because I like the look of the whole almonds in the sliced biscotti. But if you don’t have a sharp serrated knife, I recommend roughly chopping them first as they’re easier to slice through without the logs crumbling.

2. Whisk wet ingredients – Whisk the cooled butter and sugar until combined, then whisk in the eggs, vanilla and almond extract.

   💫 TIP: Cool rather than warm butter ensures the dough isn’t too sticky when shaping into logs.

3. Mix in dry ingredients – Add the flour and salt, then scatter the baking powder across the surface. Mix it in using a wooden spoon until you can almost no longer see flour.

4. Add almonds – Then add the cooled almonds and mix until you can no longer see flour.

5. Logs – Using your hands to shape the mixture into two logs 27 cm long, 5 cm wide, 2cm thick (11 x 2 x 0.8″) on a paper lined tray. I just do this directly on the tray to avoid double handling as the dough gets sticky if you handle it too much. If there’s lots of almonds on the surface, push some of them in so they are covered in dough (cutting through almonds on the surface can cause breakage when slicing).

   💫 Sticky dough tips – If you are having trouble with a sticky dough, use wet hands. If the dough is still too sticky to handle, pop it in the fridge for 10 minutes as cool dough = firmer. Was your butter or almonds still warm?? 😊)

6. Bake 1 (25 minutes) – Bake the logs for 25 min at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) until it is golden, but not dark golden, we want a pretty light golden colour.

7. Fully cool the logs. This will take at least an hour. A cool log is much easier to slice without crumbling issues. It is even easier to slice the next day!

8. Slice the logs on the diagonal into 8mm / 1/3″ thick slices using a sharp serrated knife, holding the sides as you cut. There will be crumbs and if you hit an almond on the edge then there may be breakage, and that’s totally ok! Biscotti is rustic, we are not in pursuit of patisserie perfection here. I usually have 2 to 3 with breakage on the edge. If you are really struggling to cut them (blunt knives are often the culprit), cut them thicker, it’s easier. 🙂

   Thickness note – As mentioned earlier, I prefer biscotti on the thinner side, I am not a huge fan of really thick biscotti. But if you are, feel free to cut them thicker then bake longer to crisp them up.

9. Bake 2 (24 minutes) – Now we do the 2nd bake to crisp them up! Lay the biscotti on 2 trays and bake for 24 minutes in a 150°/300°F (130°C fan), flipping the biscotti and switching the shelf the trays are on at the halfway mark. They should be pale golden and will still feel a little soft when you prod them – they will harden as they cool.

   Note – I bake at a lower temperature than typical recipes to make my biscotti crisp without colouring them too much. I just think it looks nicer. 🙂

10. Cool on the trays, during which time they will fully crisp. Then dunk, snap, crunch and enjoy!

Biscotti will stay crisp and fresh in an airtight container for at least 2 weeks, possibly longer. And even if they do soften a bit (hot humid weather is not a friend of biscotti), you can just re-crisp them in the oven, it only took me about 8 minutes.

As for what to dunk biscotti in! Coffee is the classic, but I’m just as happy with tea, hot chocolate or dessert wine (this is a great way to finish a meal). But truthfully, I’ve consumed a lot more biscotti straight off the tray without any drink around!! 😅 – Nagi x

PS If you want to add a bit of extra naughtiness, melt chocolate and drizzle or dip. If dipping, use 70% cocoa because it’s thinner when melted, dark chocolate/semi-sweet chocolate is thicker so it will make the coating a little too thick, in my opinion. For drizzling, you can use any chocolate. I used 70% cocoa in the photo below.

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Watch how to make it

Remembering Dozer

Now look, I know from the way I’ve been weeping over Dozer and carrying on about how much I miss him, his hugs, his presence, that cute face ..… you’d assume he was basically flawless. But the truth is, he wasn’t perfect. (I know. Please take a moment to recover from the shock of hearing me say those words.)

Here is one memorable incident from the family archives I’ve kept from you all these years. It was bad enough that Dozer and my mum’s dog Albie dragged a pot plant through mum’s house, leaving a very incriminating trail of evidence……

…… they then had the audacity to sit there looking utterly innocent, watching while Mum cleaned up their mess! 😂

Who us? We have no idea what happened! We don’t even like plants.

See?