Italian Almond Biscotti Recipe

While I was in Italy for a food and styling photography workshop, Julia from Jul’s Kitchen shared with our class how to make her family recipe for authentic Italian biscotti through a cooking demonstration.

Italian biscotti is perfect to dip in coffee or wine for a light dessert or snack. You might also like, my Starbucks Copycat Madeleine Recipe for dipping. It is a sweet cake-like cookie with a touch of lemon zest and smooth vanilla flavor. The golden-brown madeleines dusted with a bit of powdered sugar will be a treat to your taste buds.

⭐ Why this recipe works

• The step-by-step recipe instructions will help you bake perfect authentic Italian biscotti every time.
• There is a perfect balance of sweetness and citrus with pieces of nutty almonds. 
• The two step baking process assures a crisp cookie like texture that is perfect for dipping in coffee or wine.

🛒 What goes into this recipe

• Large eggs – be sure to separate the egg’s whites and yolks into separate bowls.
•  Baking soda – Always be sure you use fresh not old baking soda for best results.
• Orange zest- Be sure to not get the white part of the orange when grating, it will make your recipe bitter.
• Almonds – Start with unpeeled whole almonds.
• Honey – I like to use honey that is from bees that foraged the orange groves. If you can’t find it at your local grocer then you can purchase it online.

Orange Blossom Honey, Unfiltered Raw Honey, Non-GMO

TIP: HOW TO ZEST AN ORANGE 🍊

1. Wash the outside peel of your orange. Dry with a clean towel.
2. Using a small zester, push the oranges down the grater, just like you would shread cheese.
3. Turn the orange frequently as you grate.
4. Be very careful not to go past the organe peel into the white layer. This part of the orange is very bitter and would not be good in a recipe.

Zester & Cheese Grater

1. Separate the egg yokes placing the whites into a large bowl and yokes in a medium bowl.

2. Next, hand mix the egg whites with a whisk for about 5 minutes until firm. You could use a hand mixer for this also.

5. Slowly pour in egg mixture with the meringue and whip them together.

6. Next, fold gently in the sifted flour with the baking soda and the grated orange peel. The dough will be sticky, that is ok, it’s the right consistency.

7. Pour in the almonds and mix until they are distributed throughout the dough.

8. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper. With the help of two spoons, form two loavLine large baking sheets with parchment paper. With two spoons, form two loaves from the biscotti dough on the baking tray in a log shape. Be sure to keep them well separated.

9. The first bake is 15 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. The outside crust will be golden brown. 

10. Remove from oven rack and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

11. After cooled, cut the loaves with a long serrated knife slantwise about 2 inches thick. Place them back on the baking pan cut side down.

12. Return to oven for second baking to crisp the biscotti. This second time should take another 5 minutes, or until toasted.

13. Remove from the oven and place the pieces on a cooling rack.

Tips for making this recipe

Be sure to note there are two baking times for this recipe. The first baking is to cook the dough, and the second baking is to dry the individual biscotti pieces. This second baking gives it a crunchy texture and makes it perfect for dipping in a warm cup of coffee.

After the second baking, allow biscotti to cool to room temperature. Then store biscotti in an airtight container so it remains crisp and dry. They should keep for a week unrefrigerated. You can freeze them at this point and pull out a few at a time to go with coffee. Just allow them to thaw on the counter for an hour. 

Variations

This recipe is a classic almond biscotti. However, you can substitute the almonds for several other nuts or add in some dried fruit with the nuts. The basic recipe is very flexible.

• Lemon biscotti: substitute the orange zest for lemon zest and add a teaspoon of lemon extract to the egg yolks and honey. Incorporate well into the mixture.
• Orange biscotti: add 1 teaspoon orange extract to the egg yolks and honey. Incorporate well into the mixture.
• Hazelnut biscotti: substitute the almonds for hazelnuts
• White chocolate chips
• Dark chocolate chips
• Pine nuts
• Pecans
• Dried cranberries
• Dried blueberries
• Diced dried apricot

How To Serve Biscotti

• ☕ Pour yourself a good cup of coffee for dunking this wonderful biscotti in.
• 🍷 Do like Julia’s family dip them in Vinsanto.(sweet dessert wine made in Italy)