Almond Biscotti

Sarah snuck that short rib post in here, but I hope you didn’t put your stand mixer away for too long. Let’s return to the sweeter side of life, with one of my most requested and perfected recipes – biscotti!

I can’t think of anything more relaxing than sitting inside on a cold day with a nice cup of coffee or tea and one or two kinds of biscotti…or maybe three or four…

I decided to crank up the biscotti machine today (wouldn’t that be cool if there was such a device?) and make four different flavors. My wife thinks a quadruple biscotti day is a little insane, but once I get on a roll, I just keep on baking:)

Each cookie deserves its own post, so let’s start here with my quintessential recipe that sparked by biscotti obsession – almond!

In Italian, biscotti is simply translated as cookie. However, to most of us in the US, we think of a double baked, rounded top, crispy treat, full of flavor and aroma.  And that’s what I’m making today.

As a quick overview, biscotti baking is a two step process. First, you make 12″ to 16″ logs. Then, cut the logs into slices and re-bake your cookies to lightly brown the edges.

Let’s talk about almonds, the star of this biscotti. I’ve experimented with sliced and chopped almonds in the past, but whole almonds are the clear winner in my book.  Although they make it slightly more difficult to slice the logs, the large almond pieces are well worth it.

For even greater depth of flavor, you can toast the almonds, but that’s completely a personal preference. Try it both ways and let us know what you like better!

Almond Biscotti

• 6 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups almonds, whole

 

Cream the butter and sugar. Add in the eggs one at a time until you have a nice yellow batter.  Add the almond extract.  Add in one cup of flour, along with the baking powder and salt and mix thoroughly. Then, add in the remaining flour. The mixture will be fairly thick.  Depending on your mixer, you can add in the almonds or stir by hand.

Place two equal globs of the dough on your baking sheets lined with parchment paper. With wet hands (to prevent the sticky dough from sticking to your hands!), form each of the blobs into a flat log about 14″ long, 4″ wide, and 3/4″ thick.  Bake in a 350F oven for about 30 to 35 minutes until the logs are a nice golden brown.

Let the logs cool on the tray for about 10 minutes and then transfer to cooling racks to cool for another 20 to 30 minutes.  Once the logs are almost completely cooled, use a sharp serrated knife to saw the logs into slices.  I like to cut them at an angle. Use a back and forth sawing motion so you don’t rip the whole almonds out of the soft loaf. Once sliced, place the biscotti back on the cookie sheet.

Now, you have two options: 1) You can stand them up (as shown in the photo above) and bake for about 10 to 20 minutes. Bake for more time if you like them crispy or less time if you prefer them softer. 2) Or, you can lay them on one side and bake for about 7 to 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake another 5 to 7 minutes on the other side, depending on how you like them.

Finally, place your biscotti on a cooling rack for 30 to 60 minutes.  They will keep in an airtight container for 1 – 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.