Almond Biscotti
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Almond biscotti are a sophisticated sweetened biscuit that goes pairs well with coffee. If you’ve never made biscotti at home, you are in for a real treat. This recipe yields richly flavored crisp yet tender cookies that won’t break your teeth.
Classic biscotti is a well-known coffee house cookie. Their crunchy texture makes them perfect for dipping into your favorite latte. They are sweetly flavored and often times speckled with nuts or dried fruit.
The variations between recipes produce different levels of sweetness and crunch. But for me, there are certain elements that make the best biscotti.
The biscotti that I enjoy most are crisp but still tender enough to eat without having to dunk it in liquid. Each bite offers a sweet almond flavor that you simply can’t get enough of.
You’ve heard of the realtor’s trick to bake chocolate chip cookies in advance of an open house to make the house more attractive? Chocolate chip cookies do smell great, but they’ve got nothing on the almond scent of these biscotti baking. It is almost as good as the taste.
To keep the biscotti from being too hard, I swap a small portion of the all-purpose flour for almond meal. This helps to minimize gluten development in the crumb, keeping it loose and crumbly. Using a combination of oil and butter gives the biscotti an intense buttery flavor and softens the crumb.
This is a recipe that you can enjoy without dunking in coffee or milk, though I won’t stop you from doing so.
The secret to making biscotti and creating that crisp yet delicate texture they are known for – they always get baked twice. First, shape it into a log and bake it until set. Then, cut it into slices and bake on each side until crisp. The oil and butter work their magic in keeping the biscotti from drying out during its second round in the oven. No dry, tooth-cracking biscotti here!
If you love biscotti you should also try my cherry almond biscotti or my cranberry orange biscotti. And if you, like me, just love the flavor of almond cookies, you can’t go wrong with my almond bars!
Recipe Snapshot
- TASTE: Full of almond flavor
- TEXTURE: Crunchy with a tender interior.
- EASE: Easy
- TIME: About an hour.
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
- Olive oil – Extra virgin light olive oil is the best for this recipe, as it has a lighter flavor.
- Unsalted butter – I almost always use unsalted butter when baking.
- Granulated sugar
- Almond extract – Provides a rich almond flavor.
- Vanilla extract – I always make my own – try it – it’s easy!
- Eggs – Eggs must be at room temperature
- All-purpose flour
- Almond flour – You can use almond meal or almond flour. Adds to the soft, tender texture of these biscotti.
- Salt
- Baking powder – The leavening agent to allow the biscotti to rise.
- Slivered or chopped almonds – For flavor, texture and a bit of crunch.
Recommended Tools
- These biscotti are wonderfully easy to make and require no special tools other than a couple of mixing bowls.
How to Make Almond Biscotti
Don’t be intimidated by the idea of making Italian Almond Biscotti. They’re remarkably easy to make and taste so much better when made at home than when purchased from a cookie jar in a coffee shop.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper before baking.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
- Make the biscotti dough. Cream the oil, butter, and sugar then beat in the almond and vanilla extracts and eggs. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add to the egg mixture, mixing just until the dough forms. Stir in the almonds.
- Shape the dough. On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough and shape into 12×2 inch logs. Transfer the logs to a parchment-lined baking sheet and flatten them to about ½ inch thick.
- Bake. Bake the logs for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Cool enough to touch then slice diagonally into ½ inch thick slices. Lay each slice cut side down and return to the oven for an additional 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire racks.
Handy tip:
This biscotti recipe makes cookies that are absolutely delicious just as they are. If you are so inclined, you can jazz them up with the addition of dried cherries or cranberries, or orange or lemon zest. A drizzle of white chocolate wouldn’t hurt either.
Tips For Success
If you’re ready to make perfectly baked almond biscotti, here are a few things to keep in mind.
- Use a sharp knife. Be sure to use a sharp or serrated knife for clean and easy cuts.
- Play around with the spices. I chose to focus on the almond extract for flavor. But, you can also add in some additional spices like ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, or nutmeg if desired.
Storage & Freezing
- How to store biscotti. These cookies keep remarkably well. They will last for up to 3 weeks at room temperature.
- Can I freeze biscotti? Yes, biscotti can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge then bring to room temperature to enjoy.
Almond Biscotti
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin light olive oil
- ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons almond extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ cups (325 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (55 g) almond flour, or almond meal
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (120 g) slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, cream together the oil, butter, and sugar. Beat in the almond and vanilla extracts, followed by the eggs.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Mix just until dough forms. Stir in the slivered almonds.
- Shape the dough into two 12×2-inch logs on the prepared baking sheet. Press down to about ½ inch thick.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
- Allow the logs to cool enough to touch. Slice into ½-inch diagonal slices. Lay each slice cut side down. Return to the oven for 10 minutes longer or until lightly toasted on each side.
- Cool completely on a wire rack. Biscotti will keep for up to 2 weeks stored in an airtight container stored at room temperature.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Biscotti may be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is for convenience and as a courtesy only. It is not guaranteed to be accurate because nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator and input the exact ingredients and brands you used in the recipe.