almond biscotti
This biscotti is what I like to think of as a Hole in One Recipe. And I know what you’re thinking, “Deb, golf? You never seemed the type.” And you’d be exactly correct; willingly standing outside in the heat and humidity for hours at a time wearing funny shoes is an enigma to me. But a hole in one? This I can compute.
You see, sometimes it takes several tries to come up with the recipe you’d hope for to make the thing you crave exactly as you are sure it should be–for example, I have not yet found the perfect yellow layer cake and I’m still remiss over my two recent butterscotch pudding disasters. But biscotti? I got what I wanted on the very first try.
Well, two years ago I did. But, being me, the type that is always looking gift horses in the mouth, I was unable to leave well enough alone and tried a different recipe last month that was plenty tasty, but a little sweet, not crisp enough and had a funny grit to it I couldn’t get past. So I sighed heavily and dramatically (while chomping on an admittedly delicious but still not my ideal biscotti) and dusted this recipe off. But did I make it the way I always had, the way I had always loved? Of course not. I had to tweak this and change that and ended up with something that was distinctly off. This time I actually screamed, cried and threw a few things but finally resigned myself to the fact that I will just never learn.
So without further ado, here is the biscotti recipe you are owed, that I should have never messed with. They’re lightly sweet, perfectly crisp and have just enough almond, orange and vanilla to make you sigh, without overwhelming the cookie. They keep deliciously for a week or up to two–though they won’t last that long–and they’re a real show-off when you have people over, especially when you dunk them into some chocolate pudding or lean them against a dish of fennel ice cream. Pretty much the only thing they don’t do is create world peace. Fortunately, another cookie has that covered.
Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Bon Appetit, December 1999
They’re supposed to make 3 dozen, but my batch yielded at least 45
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup whole almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped or sliced almonds
1 large egg white
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange liquer and zest in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.
Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.
Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.
Those look gorgeous! I was wondering how well they keep. I have yet to find a biscotti that doesn’t turn from delightfully crisp to toothbreaking rock hard after about a day.
I made chocolate chip biscotti yesterday from an internet recipe and it was not great, okay, but not great. I have a recipe for hazelnut biscotti that is fantastic so I modified it to do another batch of chocolate chip biscotti; this time it bombed completely. Tonight I’ll be attempting the third batch. I do love the biscotti!
Biscotti are interesting, I’ve only had homemade ones because my husband was aghast at buying cookies that in his opinion were hard as rock, dry as dust and flavorless. I do not know where he had biscotti at some point in his life, I only know he’s been emotionally scarred ever since. Luckily the biscotti I tried making at home were taster-iffic. So perhaps he’s beginning to heal. I only made chocolate ones but now I’m thinking these might be pretty yummy too. It doesn’t hurt that I have a ton and a half of oranges to do something with before Mother Nature does. I will add this recipe to my to *make n’ bake* list and try them some day soon perhaps!.
SO. TIRED. GOING. TO. DIE.
oh yum. i love biscotti. thanks for the tried-and-true recipe.
yellow layer cake–there was a recipe in this month’s cook’s illustrated that made me drool just reading about it. it was all fluffy… with chocolate frosting…
This is the first post from a longtime admirer of smittenkitchen.com. Anyway, these biscottis look yummy! May I also recommend Alice Water’s recipe in her new “The Art of Simple Food.” I use her recipe as a base and then tweak it to make chocolate chip and hazlenut biscotti or dried cranberry and walnut biscotti. Both are equally delicious!
Ditto on what Joc said. And THEN SOME.
Oma — Did you make it? I saw the recipe but was hoping to see if anyone else had tried it first.
Katy — I don’t think these get too hard or stale. We’ve kept them well over a week in the past.
I’ve been researching tea as of late, and the photos of this biscotti sure make it look like the perfect accompaniment. I agree with Lauren… Alice Water’s recipe is wonderful, but having TWO great biscotti recipes is divine!
These sound amazing. I would change it to whole wheat pastry flour because rising is not of importance, plus I like the nutty taste of whole wheat and think it would complement the almonds. I’ve been looking for a recipe for biscotti for a while and I think this may be it. Outstanding! Thanks!
- The Peanut Butter Boy
Two votes for Alice Waters! I am always years behind on cookbooks, but wouldn’t you know I bought her Vegetables cookbook this week. And now I need another? Sigh. This does not bode well for our already-bursting bookcases.
I live for baking biscotti. I’m the queen of double chocolate walnut biscotti — in fact, they’re my TRADE MARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here is my favorite recipe for yellow layer cake. From Cooksmart by Pam Anderson. It’s easy and moist and has excellent flavor.
Read the recipe carefully. The steps are unusual.
Yellow Layer Cake
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
4 tsps baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 sticks butter (16 Tbs.), softened
2 cups granulated sugar
Directions:
1: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 8-inch cake pans.
2: Mix first four ingredients in a large bowl. Mix milk, eggs and vanilla extract in a 2-cup measuring cup. With an electric mixer, beat softened butter into dry ingredients, first on low, then increased to medium, until mixture forms pebble-size pieces. Add about 1/3 of the milk mixture; beat on low until mixture is smooth. Add remaining milk mixture in two stages; beat on medium speed until batter is just smooth. Add the sugar; beat until just incorporated, about 30 seconds. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
3: Bake until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40-45 minutes. Set pans on a wire rack; let cool for 5 minutes. Run a knife around the pan perimeter and dump cakes onto rack. Let cool completely, at least 1 hour. (Cakes can be double-wrapped in plastic at room temperature for a day or frozen for a few weeks.)
Deb, thanks for another awesome recipe + pictures! Do you think fresh orange juice, maybe boiled down and reduced would work in place of the liquer? Would adding crystallized ginger bits be too crazy?
I made the yellow cake from this month’s Cooks Illustrated and I can vouch for its deliciousness. It replicates the tasty fluffiness of cake from a box but without the tinny chemical notes. Super good.
Mmmmmm. If only it wasn’t late in the evening I would like to have those with cup of good coffee :)
They do look quite delicious, indeed, but I can’t have them …. sigh. :( I’ve lost most of my teeth.
Yellow cake? Now that’s a different story! I’ll be asking my wife to make up one from the Cooksmart recipe when she gets off her shift (a registered nurse).
Thanks!
Wonderful! Biscotti has always been a stumper-recipe for me. I’ve tried a bunch but they never seem right. Thanks!
biscotti is my favorite kind of cookie. I love to bake a large batch and chuck most of them into the freezer and serve them with after dinner tea/coffee when we have guests. Only you can make biscotti looks so seductive. :)
These look really awesome with the coconut. I like crisp biscottis, so I’m definitely going to try this recipe!
I love this recipe! I’ve made a version with crystallized ginger and almond that was a hit, but the basic almond biscotti is to die for. Thanks deb!
This is killing me. I have been without a full-equipped kitchen for months. I haven’t baked anything for months. biscotti are my favorite! I almost caved and bought a box of half-way decent looking ones at Marshalls today. I know better, however. store-bought varieties usually pale in comparison. can’t wait to try this recipe!
ali
so golden and yummy looking!
what about biscotti’s Jewish cousin, mandelbrodt. Anyone have a tried and true recipe for that?
Deb,
Thanks for the recipe! I tried my hand at making gluten-free sweet-potato (like, um, pumpkin) biscotti over Thanksgiving. What a disaster! Yours looks so much better!
Also, have you tried Shuna Fish Lydon’s Yellow Cake? It may be your salvation:
http://eggbeater.typepad.com/shuna/2006/10/yellow_cake_wit.html
Hey Deb..yummo looking biscotti you got there!! But I have a similar one that I would like you to try…it’s called almond bread, the texture and method are very similar with that of biscotti but just without egg yolks and butter…BUT trust me it’s insanely delicious!!! and you can EAT MORE!! hehehe…
Almond Bread
Ingredients
3 egg whites
½ cup castor sugar
1 cup plain flour
125gm (4oz) unblanched almonds
Method
Beat egg whites until soft peaks form, gradually beat in castor sugar, beating well after each addition until stiff.
Fold in sifted flour and whole almonds.
Spread mixture into greased 25cm x 8cm bar tin. Bake in a moderate oven for 30-35 minutes, or until just firm to touch. Turn out of tin to cool.
When cold, wrap in aluminium foil and put in the fridge for a few hours. Using a very sharp knife, cut the bread into wafer thin slices. Place the slices onto oven trays and bake at 120°C for 15 minutes, or until dry and crisp and slightly coloured.
Store in an airtight container, where almond bread will keep for a long time.
So there it is ! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make it one day …. it’s soo SOOOOO SOOO good!!
Cecilia that sounds reeeallly good. Do you need to bake thin slices of it? Does it turn out like biscotti? Does it work just as fresh almond bread? Is it moist?
- The Peanut Butter Boy
thanks for the recipe! last time i baked biscotti i meant to bring the batch into work and well, that didn’t happen, much to my tastebuds delight. i love classic almond, and will definitely try this recipe (but hopefully not end up eating all of them!)
Look at the color of that biscotti! Perfect! All I need is some espresso now!
Mmmm, biscotti! I make an anise flavored biscotti that has people yelping for more. They keep well in a tin without getting rock hard, the butter keeps them from tasting dry.
But how did you manage to slice them so beautifully? Even with using a serrated bread knife, some of my edges always crumble.
These look great! I was never a huge fan of biscotti, but I’ve come to realize that I’ve also never had it fresh, so my only experience has been eating rocks cut out in the shape of biscotti. I think I’ll have to give this a try!
Your recipe for almond biscotti looks terrific. During the Christmas holiday my husband was in a rehabilition facility and I made different types of mandelbrot almost every day. Every one was delighted with the cookies. I am tempted to make your recipe but I only have self-rising and whole wheat flour and wonder if I can use these flours to make your recipe.
What’s the difference between biscotti and Jewish mandelbrodt? (translation: almond bread) One you serve to the Junior League and the other you serve playing mah jong. The mandelbrodt recipe I have tends to be a bit heavier than biscotti, but they are basically the same.
Trudy — I would not use self-rising in this but you could probably get away with whole wheat in either a portion (which I know works) or using it entirely (which I haven’t tried).
These look so good! I love biscotti.
Oh, goodness me! These are a must-try! I’m salivating just thinking of eating one with a mug of tea.
There are no cookies that make me want a large milky coffee more than these. hardly a magic trick, but definitely something magical.
These look wonderful! Hope to try it soon, but the more I bake, the more I get scared of the results because of my ‘history’ with baking. Sigh.
I have a question — did you use unbleached or bleached flour? I never noticed it before until someone pointed it out to me. Thanks!
I know that some people have strong opinions about unbleached versus bleached, but at least according to my bread-baking instructor last year, they honestly work the same. That said, if I see both, I grab the unbleached and even the organic. If I don’t have an option, though, I have no problem using Gold Medal.
Just beautiful Deb! I think almond is the perfect flavor for biscotti.
Hi Nick! I’m soo glad you’re interested in the recipe!! :)
Yes it’s really good! The texture is really like a biscotti - crispy n stuff…I don’t know why do they call it almond bread coz it’s definitely not bread-y or moist to me !! I’m don’t think you can treat it as a bread coz of the texture and stuff…
Yea i think it’s best to slice it thinly but I’m not too sure if you can get away with slicing it thicker, maybe try one thickly slice and see how it goes?! And you can also add one tsp of vanilla essence to make it tastier. Oh and make sure you don’t over-baked the almond bread during the second baking time…coz it’ll turn rock hard - take it out when it turns just slightly golden.
Happy baking!! :)
Sounds great, I’ll be sure to try it soon! I’ll probably substitute whole wheat pastry flour for the regular flour. It will give it more of a nutty taste and make these super nutritious! I’ll post my results on my blog when I make it! Thanks!
- The Peanut Butter Boy
i always assumed these would be difficult.
but they look easy!
Holy cow! I wanted to bake something for my (horrifically spoiled) coworkers for tomorrow but I was tired of scones (most recent iteration: add lime zest, grated ginger, and 1/2 cup shredded coconut to your favorite scone recipe) and cookies are not always good breakfast food… but these are perfect! I baked them right up, omitting almonds since I am too lazy to go to the store and don’t care much for them anyway. I may have gone overboard on the orange zest but I wouldn’t say it’s a flaw… they are fruity and delicious. Thank you!
These look great, but I have always wondered about the directions in these recipes to shape into a log 2 and a half inches wide. When I have followed that direction, the cookies come out much, much smaller than “typical” biscotti — certainly they look smaller than yours. Your logs look much wider than 2 and a half inches. What am I missing here?
Hi Joan — I used a ruler to measure, so those sizes are accurate. I did use a slightly smaller than normal pan (which is why they merged together) due to our tiny oven restrictions. The logs spread, so you end up with biscotti that are 6 and more inches long.
Love love biscotti! And these look divine. Once upon a time I had a half-chocolate half-almond recipe that I made so many times to rave reviews that I could do it sans recipe with my eyes closed. Then I moved and lost the recipe and didn’t make them for a long time. The good news, I moved again and what should fall out of another long-lost cookbook? The recipe! I will be baking this weekend — and trying this recipe as well.
Another “first post” from a fan of your terrific blog, Deb!
The almond/biscotti combo is a “home run” for sure. I usually bake a version including white chocolate and dried apricots around the holidays which gives them a whole new dimension…crunchy, chewy with the white chocolate adding a little moisture so they’re not hard as rocks.
Heaven dipped into a milky cup of coffee as someone has already noted. Here’s the recipe — it’s a real keeper as they say, although prepare for utter exhaustion in the quest for biscotti nirvana…it’s a long process which always ends with me, barely awake, pulling batches out of the oven around
1 am.
http://theaperitif.blogspot.com/2007/12/agony-and-ecstasy.html
yummers. i really need to make homemade biscotti one of these days. although with easy access to so many amazing italian bakeries, it’s easy to get lazy.
re: golf, i’m with mark twain: “a good walk spoiled.”
It’s great that they don’t turn rock hard. Like Katy, I’ve never had any that kept well for longer than a day. As always, beautiful, beautiful photos.
I just made these for my Sunday-afternoon-try-something-new tradition, and they are INCREDIBLE. God, I love this site! Thanks, Deb!
I just made these and they are incredible. I didnt want to make so many so I only made a third of the recipe and it still turned out fine. I didnt have any vanilla essence on hand and substituted Cointreau for Grand Marnier. Still was AMAZING and there are none left even though I baked these some 4 hours ago!
Deb — Thanks for your reply. :)
This Biscotti recipe is so good. I am 100 % certain of this as I have made three batches of them. I made a few minor changes the second time adding, 1/2 tablespoon almond extract, 1 more tablespoon of orange zest and dare I say 1 cup of bittersweet chocolate morsels, which I froze for an hour before adding.
Thanks for a great recipe, I am having fun tweaking it and creating new flavors. Coconut white chocolate Almond is next……..Mentioned you and the recipe on my site.
Your recipes never fail me - made biscotti for the first time with this recipe and they were FANTASTIC, though they required a bit more time in the oven than yours because I swapped in some brown sugar. Also substituted plain old OJ for the Grand Marnier. I’m going to try them with dried cranberries next.