Biscotti Di Greve (Orange Almond Biscotti)

Greve is a Tuscan village in the heart of Chianti country, and these biscotti are the kind served alongside an after-dinner glass of Vin Santo for dipping. Toasted whole almonds and a tablespoon of fresh orange zest are the only flavorings, the recipe earns its complexity from technique rather than a long ingredient list.

The two-bake method is what gives biscotti their signature crunch and long shelf life. The first bake at low heat sets the logs without browning them too much, the diagonal slicing exposes the soft interior, and the second bake on each cut side dries the cookies all the way through. Skip that second bake and you have soft cookies, not biscotti.

Toasting the almonds lightly before chopping is worth the extra step. Raw almonds taste flat in the finished cookie. Toasted almonds bring depth and amplify the orange notes throughout the dough.

Chef Tips

• Slice the logs while they’re still slightly warm but firm, fully cool logs crumble under the knife
• Use a serrated bread knife with a sawing motion, downward pressure crushes the almonds and breaks the cookie
• The egg wash brushed on the logs before the first bake gives the finished biscotti a deep, glossy mahogany top
• Store cooled biscotti in an airtight tin, they keep three weeks at room temperature and actually firm up further over time
• Mail-friendly cookies, the dryness that makes them so crisp also makes them ship beautifully without breaking

Variations

• Swap orange zest for lemon zest plus 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds for a more savory Italian variation
• Dip half of each cooled biscotti in melted dark chocolate for a chocolate-orange version
• Replace half the almonds with chopped pistachios for color and a softer nut profile