Biscotti is a classic Italian cookie. They are crunchy and not too sweet. Every bite of classic biscotti is stuffed with almonds. These cookies are a great addition to any dessert table or breakfast spread. Enjoy them with a glass of milk or a hot cup of tea/coffee.
Biscotti get their trademark crispness from being baked twice. First, they are baked in logs which are then sliced and then baked again. Classic biscotti are always stuffed with almonds but you replace them with other nuts such as hazelnut, pistachios, etc. Or add chocolate chips or dried berries. They also taste great when drizzled with melted chocolate or icing.
Not a fan of crispy and crunchy cookies try my recipe Double Chocolate Cookies, Triple Chocolate Cookies or Chocolate Chip Cookies for soft and fudgy cookies.
Making biscotti is a very quick and easy process. Mixing all ingredients to make a dough which is baked twice. This recipe doesn’t even require a hand mixer. Your good old whisk is all you need. Also, the ingredients required are staples in your kitchen already.
Ingredients required
(For a detailed list with quantities required, find the recipe card below)
- Flour
- Butter- Most biscotti recipes use oil but I prefer butter for the rich flavour and texture.
- Sugar- Granulated sugar is used.
- Egg- Acts as a binder and provides necessary moisture. Make sure eggs are at room temperature before using.
- Vanilla extract
- Almonds- You can replace almonds with your preferred nuts, dried berries, or chocolate.
- Baking powder
- Orange essence and Lemon zest(optional)- Both of these ingredients are added to give that extra aroma and flavour but they are completely optional.
How to make classic biscotti?
(For a detailed list of instructions, find the recipe card below)
- Wet ingredients- Whisk butter and sugar till combined. Add extracts, zest, and eggs and whisk till combined.
- Dry ingredients- Sift in flour and baking powder. Add almonds and combine to form a dough.
- Shaping the dough- Sprinkle flour onto a rolling surface. Place the dough and divide into two pieces. Give them a rectangular shape with a 1-inch thickness. Place them on a parchment/butter paper lined baking/cookie sheet. Sprinkle some sugar on top and bake till golden brown.
- Making biscotti- Let them cool for some minutes till we can handle them. Cut them crosswise with ½ inch thickness. Place them cut-side up in a baking tray and bake until golden brown.
Storage:-
Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for several weeks. You can also freeze them in an airtight container for several months. Do not refrigerate as it may affect their texture. Make sure they have cooled completely before storing them in a container.
If you liked this recipe, try these!
Classic Biscotti
Ingredients
- 240 g All-purpose flour 2 cups
- 40 g Butter 3 tbsp
- 100 g Sugar ½ cup
- 2 Egg medium size
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Orange essence optional
- 70 g Almonds ½ cup
- 1½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180℃/350℉. Line a cookie sheet with parchment/butter paper.
- Whisk together sugar and butter until well-blended (no need to cream).
- Add vanilla extract, orange essence, and lemon zest. Also, add eggs (one at a time) and mix till well combined.
- Sift in flour and baking powder. Add almonds and mix to form a heavy dough.
- Sprinkle some flour on a flat/rolling surface. Place the dough on the surface and divide into two equal pieces. Form each piece into a rectangle with ½ to 1-inch thickness.
- Place these rectangles on the prepared sheets. Sprinkle some sugar on top(optional).
- Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Let them sit until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
- Slice each rectangle crosswise into about 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place slices cut-sides up back on the cookie sheets.
- Bake until lightly toasted and golden brown, 12-15 minutes.