Biscotti Recipe

If you enjoy relaxing with a cup of coffee and a small snack, this biscotti recipe is what you need. Basic biscotti dough is baked twice to create crunchy, dunkable cookies that satisfy any sweet cravings while not being too sugary. Biscotti store very well when baked properly, so you can make a bunch and have enough to last for weeks.

Biscotti started as a travel food during the Roman Empire. People would bake dry sticks of dough that weren’t very sweet but that lasted a long time and provided some nutrition. That type of biscotti fell in popularity when the Roman Empire fell, but when an Italian baker brought the recipe back centuries later, biscotti recipes started becoming sweeter. Eventually, the basic almond biscotti was joined by several different flavors, and today, it remains a favorite snack of many. Biscotti is meant to be hard and ready to be dunked in coffee, tea, wine or milk. No matter your choice, you’ll love sitting back and having one of these biscotti on a break.

Biscotti Recipe Ingredients

• Butter: Butter adds moisture that helps in forming the dough, and it adds air to the dough when creamed with sugar.
• Sugar: You’ll use most of the sugar for creaming, but you’ll also sprinkle some of it across the tops of the biscotti dough to create a tasty crust.
• Large eggs: Biscotti recipes aren’t very forgiving, so use only large eggs. Extra large or medium eggs won’t provide the right amounts of yolk and white.
• Anise extract: This extract adds a little licorice-like flavor to the dough.
• All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour provides needed structure to the recipe. This flour has a higher percentage of protein and gluten than pastry flour but a lower percentage than bread flour. The biscotti won’t be too tough (they should be hard, but crunchy and not tough) if you use all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder: This helps the dough rise a bit during baking so that the biscotti aren’t too flat and dense.
• Chopped almonds: These almonds add both crunch and flavor.
• 2% milk: This milk helps make the dough more flexible and shapeable.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the dough

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Preheat the oven to 375°F. Cream the butter with 1 cup of the sugar for five to seven minutes or until it is light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly, and then stir in the anise extract. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in another bowl, and then gradually add this mixture into the creamed mixture. Blend the mixtures well, and then stir in the chopped almonds.

Step 2: Form the initial logs

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Line a large baking sheet with foil, and then grease the foil. Divide the dough into two portions and place them on the foil. Shape each into a 12×3-inch rectangle. Brush the tops of both rectangles with milk, and then sprinkle the rest of the sugar over each.

Step 3: Do the first round of baking

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Bake the rectangles for 15 to 20 minutes until they’re golden brown and feel firm. Lift the foil and place the rectangles on the foil on a wire rack, where you’ll let them cool for about 15 minutes. Turn the oven temperature down to 300°.

Step 4: Cut the logs into slices

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Move the cooled rectangles to a cutting board, and cut them into diagonal slices that are 1/2-inch thick. Use a serrated knife for best results. Place each slice cut side down on an ungreased baking sheet.

Step 5: Do the second round of baking

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Bake the slices for 10 minutes; turn the slices over and bake for another 10 minutes. Place the slices on a wire rack to let them cool. Once they’re ready, store them in an airtight container.

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Biscotti Recipe Variations

• Omit the almonds: While the almonds are a wonderful addition to the biscotti, you don’t have to include them if you prefer not to. If you need to have nut-free biscotti or just don’t have almonds on hand, you can bake these using the same instructions but without the almonds.
• Try different add-ins: You can also replace or combine the almonds with different add-ins, from other nuts such as hazelnuts to combinations of dried fruit and chocolate chips. Try this Almond Cherry Biscotti recipe, for example, which uses candied cherries, or this Chocolate Chip Biscotti that’s full of chopped dried apricots and white chocolate chips. You can also try using spices, such as in these Cardamom Almond Biscotti. These Maple Walnut Biscotti use walnuts, dried cranberries and chocolate chips. While biscotti are generally sweet enough to be a dessert or sweet snack, nothing says you can’t make a savory version. After you make these biscotti, try making a savory recipe, such as this Cheesy Cajun Cornbread Biscotti recipe.

How to Store Biscotti Recipe

Plain biscotti can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container; line an airtight metal tin with parchment paper, place some biscotti on the paper, and then add a second layer of parchment on top before adding a second layer of biscotti. Store the tin at room temperature for about a week.

Can you freeze this Biscotti Recipe?

Yes, any biscotti that you haven’t eaten in a week should be frozen. Wrap the biscotti (you can do this with single cookies or a few bundled together) in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe, airtight container. Eat within two months. While biscotti that are very dry can last a long time, humidity and freezer burn can both take their toll on the cookies.

Biscotti Recipe Tips

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Can’t you just slice and bake biscotti once for a longer time?

No. Biscotti are meant to be baked twice (the name itself is derived from words meaning twice-baked). If you slice the unbaked dough, the biscotti won’t have very good form, and all the sides will be thicker and relatively tough. Yes, biscotti are usually hard, but the texture would be very different. If you try to bake the dough first and slice afterward, the dough will be too hard, and each slice will be messy, if not broken into pieces.

How do you stop the tops of the logs from tearing when you slice them?

The extra points and sharp edges of a serrated knife make it easier to cut through baked dough without tearing it apart. Also, try using a slow sawing motion when cutting, instead of simply pressing down, which can pull on the dough.

How do you prevent biscotti from becoming soft in storage?

The biscotti need to be cooled completely before you store them. If they’re warm at all, that warmth will soften them in storage. You can re-crisp them by baking them for 10 to 15 minutes at 300°.