Tiered Biscotti Tree
Submitted by wmont
Stack spiced almond biscotti into a stunning edible tree centerpiece, cemented with orange marmalade icing. A holiday baking project that doubles as a gorgeous table display guests can eat.
YIELD
1 treePREP
1 hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
10 hrsThis is the kind of holiday baking project that makes people gasp when they walk into the room.
Crispy almond biscotti spiced with cinnamon, cloves, coriander, and orange zest get shaped into triangles, twice-baked until golden, then stacked into a tiered tree structure held together with a glossy orange marmalade icing.
It’s part cookie platter, part edible sculpture. Guests just pull off a biscotti and eat it.
Yes, it takes some time and a little patience with the assembly. But the dough can be made ahead, and the finished tree holds up for days, making it an ideal weekend project for Christmas parties or holiday gatherings.
Baker’s Tips
- Cut the biscotti slices exactly 5/8 inch wide so the tiers stack evenly. A ruler is your friend here
- Toast the almonds until genuinely golden, not pale. That deep nuttiness is worth the extra few minutes
- Let the icing set slightly between layers so the tree doesn’t slide as you build upward
- If the icing thickens while you work, stir in a few drops of orange juice to loosen it back up
- Make the biscotti a day ahead or freeze them. Assembly goes much faster when you’re not also baking
Ingredients
Directions
Constructed from baked biscotti dough, the cookie tree is an edible centerpiece.
Place almonds in a 8 to 9 inch pan.
Bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven, shaking often, until golden, about 15 minutes; cool.
In a large bowl, beat butter, sugar and orange peel until fluffy.
Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in vanilla.
Combine 4½ cups flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, nutmeg and nuts; add to butter mixture and stir to blend thoroughly.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.
On a well-floured board, pat each piece into an evenly thick triangle that measures 9 inches across base, 2 inches across top and 12 inches on each side.
Make edges neat by pressing with a ruler.
Carefully transfer each triangle with wide spatulas to an oiled 12×15 inch baking sheet.
Bake in a 350℉ (180℃) oven for 15 minutes; triangles can wait for oven space.
Remove from oven; cut crosswise (NOT diagonally) into slices exactly 5/8 inch wide, using a long knife.
Tip slices onto a cut side.
Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes; turn cookies over once while baking.
Cool on reacks. If made ahead, package airtight up until next day or freeze.
To build the tree, pipe (using a ¼ inch tip) or spread a little frosting on 1 side of each of the longest cookies.
Lay icing-side down on a flat platter, tips touching, to form a triangle.
Pip or spread icing down center of each cookie on plate.
Stack the 3 next-longest cookies on the first, inverting position of the triangle (looking down from the top, it will look like a Star of David).
Build tree, using the next-smallest cookie trio for each level and cementing with icing.
If you like, pipe icing to drip over the edge of the cookies.
Decorate top with holly.
Let guests lift off cookies to eat.
If made ahead or to protect from dust, seal in plastic wrap; cookies stay fresh up to 4 days, depending on moisture in air.
Kept longer, they hold their shape but get stale.
Icing: Smoothly mix together ¾ cp orange marmalade, 1 box (1 lb) or 4 cups sifted powder and 1 Tablespoon orange-flavor liqueur or orange juice.
If icing thickens as you work, stir in a little more orange juice.
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