Basic Classic Biscotti
Submitted by marij420j
Classic Italian almond biscotti with toasted whole and chopped almonds, twice-baked for crisp dunkable texture. Just six ingredients. Pairs perfectly with espresso or vin santo.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
50 minCOOK
40 minREADY
90 minTrue Italian biscotti (also called cantuccini in Tuscany) bear almost no resemblance to the soft, butter-and-chocolate-chip versions sold in American coffee shops. Authentic biscotti contain no butter, no oil, no leavening to speak of. The dry, cracker-like texture is intentional, designed for dunking in espresso, coffee, or sweet vin santo dessert wine. The hot liquid softens the cookie just enough to eat without sogging it out completely.
Six ingredients is all it takes: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs, and toasted almonds. The eggs serve as the only binder and the only source of moisture, which is what makes the biscotti hard enough to keep at room temperature for weeks without going stale.
The key technique is the twice-baking that gives biscotti their name ("bis-cotti” literally means “twice-cooked"). The first bake firms the cylinders into loaves; the slice and second bake dries each cookie into the crisp, golden-edged dunker. Skip the second bake and you have soft cookies, not biscotti.
Using half the almonds whole and the other half chopped is a small but elegant choice. Whole almonds give visual interest and big satisfying crunches; chopped almonds distribute nutty flavor through every bite of the dough.
Pro Tips
- Toast the almonds the full 8 to 10 minutes until they smell strongly nutty. Pale almonds taste flat in such a stripped-down recipe.
- Roll the cylinders to a true 1.5-inch diameter and 15 inches long. Bigger logs produce dense, doughy interiors; thinner ones bake into hard sticks.
- Use a serrated knife and a sawing motion to slice the par-baked logs. Pressing down with a chef’s knife crushes the warm dough; sawing keeps the slices clean.
- Let the biscotti cool completely on a rack before storing. Even slightly warm biscotti trap moisture in the tin and turn soft.
Variations
- Add 1.5 to 2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to the dry ingredients for a chocolate biscotti (the recipe’s own suggested twist).
- Swap half the almonds for shelled pistachios and add a tablespoon of grated orange zest for a Sicilian-style version.
- Dip one end of each cooled biscotto in melted dark chocolate for a more dessert-leaning presentation.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in oven until lightly golden. Let cool. Coarsely chop half the nuts. Butter 2 large baking sheets.
Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Beat in eggs, then whole and chopped nuts. Mix to obtain a firm dough. Knead briefly, then divide dough into 4 pieces.
On a floured work surface, roll each piece under your hands into a cylinder 15 inches long and about 1½ inches in diameter.
Place 2 rolls, well separated, on each baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned and firm to the touch.
With a spatula, carefully transfer the rolls to a cutting board and slice each one diagonally into cookies about ½-inch thick. Set wire racks on the baking sheets and lay out the biscotti on them.
Return them to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until very firm and crisp. Cool on the racks, then transfer them to a tin for long keeping.
Try adding 1½-to-2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder to this recipe for a nice variation.
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