Biscotti
Biscotti is a traditional Italian cookie known for its crispy texture and long shelf life. The name comes from the Latin 'bis' (twice) and 'coctus' (cooked), reflecting the process of double baking.
Ingredients
- 280 gflour
- 200 gsugar
- 1.5 tspbaking powder
- 0.25 tspsalt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1 tspalmond extract
- 150 gwhole almonds
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and almond extracts. Add to dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Stir in almonds.
- Divide the dough into two portions and form two oblong logs on the baking tray.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until the dough is light golden. Let cool for 10 minutes.
- Cut the logs diagonally into slices about 1 cm thick. Arrange slices cut-side down on the tray.
- Bake for a further 10-15 minutes on each side until golden. Cool completely before serving.
FAQ
Biscotti are meant to be hard for dunking in coffee — that's correct texture. If they're excessively hard, reduce the second bake by 2–3 minutes. The longer the second bake, the drier and harder they become.
Yes, that's the classic approach: almonds, pistachios, dried cranberries, candied orange peel, or chocolate chunks. Add them to the dough before shaping the log. Toast nuts beforehand for deeper flavor.
Let it cool 10–15 minutes after the first bake but not completely — a fully cold log crumbles. Use a sharp serrated knife and saw gently with minimal downward pressure, at a 45-degree angle.
In an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 weeks. The double-baking removes nearly all moisture, so they stay crisp far longer than regular cookies.
Yes — freeze the shaped log before the first bake. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bake as normal. Fully baked biscotti also freeze well for up to 3 months.
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Comments (1)
Ingredient temperature matters enormously for biscotti. Unless the recipe says otherwise, everything should be at room temperature. Cold flour doesn't cream properly, and the texture suffers throughout.