Recipes for the best biscotti might not be an exciting topic for you, especially if you were raised on store bought biscotti - the kind that are as hard as rocks!
I assure you, fragrant homemade biscotti are nothing like their commercial counterparts.
Although sturdy enough to dunk in your morning tea or coffee - homemade biscotti are fragrant, full flavored, and pleasantly textured.
These Almond Biscotti are perfect - crunchy but not hard as rocks.
They are the perfect accompaniment to your morning espresso or afternoon tea and go well with ice cream, fruit salad, or pudding.
They make a tasty not too sweet treat that will leave you feeling satisfied morning, noon, or night.
This recipe for Almond Biscotti is easiest to make if you have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Alternatively, you can use a manual whisk and wooden spoon and give yourself a little workout!
You can play around with and customize this Almond Biscotti recipe too, adding dried fruit, spices, or citrus zest. Open your baking cupboard and see what creative flavor variations you come up with.
Almond Biscotti Recipe
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3/4 cup sliced almonds
Position one of your oven racks in the center of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking liner.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, salt, and cornmeal together until well blended.
In the large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or, if mixing by hand, in a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together at medium speed until very smooth, about 3 minutes.
Add the eggs and continue to beat, scraping down the bowl as needed, for another 2 minutes, or until the mixture is light and creamy.
Beat in the almond extract.
With the mixer on low speed or while stirring with the spoon,add the dry ingredients, mixing just until incorporated.
You should have a soft, sticky dough that will clump on the paddle.
Stir in the almonds and mix just to blend.
Scrape half the dough on to one half of your prepared baking sheet. Lightly dust your hands with flour and shape the dough into a 1 1/2 inch by 12 inch log.
Shape the remaining dough into a log on the other side of the baking sheet.
Place the baking sheet on the center rack of your oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top of the logs are lightly golden but still soft and springy to the touch.
Place the baking sheet on a wire rack and allow the logs to cool about 30 minutes. (leave the oven set at 350 degrees or preheat again before continuing).
Transfer the logs to a cutting board.
Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on a slight diagonal into 3/4-inch slices. Use a gentle sawing motion to cut through the top crust.
Place slices on the baking sheet standing them up on their 'bottoms'.
Bake the biscotti another 15 minutes, or until they are golden and firm.
Place baking sheet on a wire rack and allow the biscotti to cool completely on the sheet.
This recipe yields about 30 Almond Biscotti
Almond Biscotti Recipe Variations
Almond Cherry Biscotti: Add about 1/3 cup dried chopped cherries when you add the nuts.
Almond Raisin Biscotti: Add about 1/3 cup raisins when you add the nuts.
Apricot Almond Biscotti: Add about 1/3 cup dried chopped apricots when you add the nuts.
Spiced Biscotti: Whisk some spice into the flour mixture (1/2 to 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom).
Anise Biscotti: Add 1 to 2 teaspoons anise seed, ground in a food processor or blender with the sugar.
Nutty Biscotti: Substitute chopped nuts of your choice for the almonds (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, macadamias, or a combination).
Citrus Biscotti: Add the 1-2 teaspoons of orange or lemon zest when beating the butter and sugar.
3 squares (1 ounce each - 3 oz total) semi-sweet chocolate, melted
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1/4 orange juice
3 squares (1 ounce each - 3 oz total) semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup walnut pieces, toasted
3/4 cup whole blanced almonds, toasted
Position one of your oven racks in the center of your oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare cookie sheet by greasing and lightly dusting with flour.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well mixed. Stir in melted chocolate. Add orange zest and juice and mix well.
Gradually add flour mixture to wet mixture and mix well until dough forms. Fold in chopped chocolate and nuts.
Divide dough in half.
Form two rolls about 2 inches wide. Place at least 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
Cool on cookie sheet for 10 minutes, then transfer rolls to cutting board and cut into slices 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick.
Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Turn slices over and bake for 10 minutes more.
Remove from oven and transfer immediately to wire racks to cool.
This recipe yields about 4 dozen Chocolate Almond Biscotti
For an extra special treat: Dip one end of your biscotti cookie into melted chocolate and let cool before serving.
Position one of your oven racks in the center of your oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until well incorporated. Stir in almond extract and orange zest. Add almonds and apricots and mix well.
Gradually add flour mixture, mixing well until dough forms.
On a lightly floured surface, divide dough in half.
Shape into two rolls about 8 inches long. Place at least 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer rolls to cutting board and cut into slices 1/2-inch thick.
Return to cookie sheets and bake for 15 minutes.
Turn slices over and bake for 5 minutes more.
Remove from oven and immediately transfer to wire racks to cool.
This recipe yields about 2 1/2 dozen Apricot Almond Biscotti
Chocolate Almond Cake Mix Biscotti Recipe
1 box (18.25-ounce) Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe® dark chocolate fudge or devil's food cake mix
1 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter, melted
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3/4 cup whole almonds
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, flour, melted butter, eggs and almond extract and beat for 2 minutes, or until dough forms.
Fold almonds into dough.
On a flat surface, form dough into log about 3 inches wide by 13 inches long.
Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and cool for 35 minutes.
With a serrated knife, cut log crosswise at a sharp angle, into 1/2-inch thick slices.
Arrange biscotti with cut sides down on cookie sheets and bake for additional 15 minutes.
Reduce oven temperature to 200F degrees and bake for 40 minutes, or until cookies are dry.
Remove from oven and transfer biscotti to wire racks and cool completely. As they cool, the cookies will harden.
If desired, melt dark or white chocolate and dip bottoms of biscotti into melted chocolate to evenly coat and then place on wax paper for chocolate to set.
This recipe yields about 2 dozen Chocolate Almond Cake Mix Biscotti
Tools for the Biscotti Baker:
If counter space is tight, you'll love these Stackable Cooling Racks - perfect for cookies, bars, brownies and any other baking you might be doing.
"I have been researching and trying a number of recipes to make a healthy cookie similar to one that our Gym coffee shop sells for $3.50! This particular recipe was adapted so instead of bars I made thick round cookies and cooked them just underdone so they were soft and chewy. They were a hit with all the girls. Thanks for the great recipe."
. Alternatively, you can use a manual whisk and wooden spoon and give yourself a little workout!
