Super Orange Almond Biscotti
Submitted by wilybil
Crunchy Italian orange almond biscotti, twice-baked for that signature snap and loaded with toasted almonds and bright orange zest. A no-butter cookie made for dunking in coffee or vin santo.
YIELD
48 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
15 minREADY
30 minTrue Italian biscotti earn their famous crunch the hard way: by baking twice. You bake the dough into logs first, slice them on the diagonal, then bake the slices again to dry them out into hard, crackly cookies built for dunking.
There’s no butter or oil in the dough, which is exactly the point. Eggs bind everything, and the lack of fat is what makes biscotti so dry and crisp rather than soft, so they hold up to a dip in coffee or a glass of vin santo.
Toast the almonds before chopping them in; it deepens their flavor and keeps them crunchy. A tablespoon of fresh orange zest runs bright and citrusy through every bite.
Slice the logs while they’re still slightly warm with a serrated knife for clean cuts, then give them their second bake until dry and golden. They keep for weeks in an airtight tin.
Chef Tips
- Toast the almonds first for deeper flavor and lasting crunch.
- Slice the logs while still warm with a serrated knife so they don’t crumble.
- Don’t shortcut the second bake; it’s what dries the biscotti to that signature snap.
- Store in an airtight container; they stay crisp for weeks.
Variations
- Dip one end of each cooled biscotti in melted dark chocolate.
- Swap almonds for hazelnuts or pistachios, and orange for lemon zest.
- Add a teaspoon of anise seed or almond extract for a traditional Italian flavor.
Ingredients
Directions
In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with a paddle attachment, blend the flour, the sugar, the baking soda and the salt until the mixture is combined well.
In a small bowl whisk together the whole eggs, the yolk, the vanilla and the zest, add the mixture to the flour mixture, beating until a dough is formed and stir in the almonds.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead it several times and halve it.
Working on a large buttered and floured baking sheet, with floured hands form each piece of dough into a flattish log 12 inches long and 2 inches wide, arrange the logs at least 3 inches apart on the sheet, and brush them with the egg wash.
Bake the logs in the middle of a preheated 300F for 50 minutes and them cool on the baking rack for 10 minutes.
On a cutting board, cut the logs crosswise on the diagonal into ½ inch thick slices, arrange the biscotti, cut sides down, on the baking sheet and bake them, in the 300F oven for 15 minutes on each side.
Transfer the biscotti to racks to cool and store them in airtight containers.
Comments
