Biscotti
A crunchy and delicious Italian cookie meant to be dunked!
Servings: 17 Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 c granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp vanilla or other extract
- 2 c flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3/4-1 c stir-ins - chocolate chips, dried fruit, nuts, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat eggs.Add sugar and mix thoroughly.Add vanilla or other extract and mix until combined.
- Add flour mixture and mix until almost combined - there will be some unmixed bits of flour throughout the dough.
- Add your stir-ins and fold in. The dough will be really sticky - that's just how you want it!
- Grease a large cookie sheet or use parchment paper.
- Form batter into a flat log about 12" long, 3" wide, and 1" tall. To keep dough from sticking to your hands, wet your hands with a little water.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until just starting to brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool completely (or at least 20 minutes).
- Carefully move log to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife (a bread knife works great), slice at a diagonal into 1" thick slices.
- Lay slices face up on the cookie sheet, and bake for 7-8 minutes.
- Flip slices over and bake for another 7-8 minutes. Your biscotti should be getting browned and starting to crisp up (they will continue to get crispier while they cool). Move cookie sheet to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.
- At this point, you can dip or drizzle them with chocolate if you like, or just leave them be.
- Stored at room temperature in an airtight container, the biscotti should last several weeks.
Notes
Flavor suggestions:
Almond:
- For extract, use: 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 tsp almond, and 1/2 tsp anise extract
- For stir-ins: 1 c toasted chopped almonds (you can toast raw almonds in a 350°F oven on a cookie sheet for about 8-10 minutes, or until they smell toasty and are starting to brown)
- Replace 1/2 c of the flour with cocoa powder
- For stir-ins: 3/4-1 c chocolate chips
- Sprinkle coarse sea salt on the log before baking
- For extract, use: 1 1/2 tsp vanilla & 3/4 tsp almond extract
- For stir-ins: 1/4 c shelled, toasted pistachios (to toast raw pistachios, see almond toasting instructions above); 1/4 c dried cherries; 1/2 c dark chocolate chunks/chips
- Before adding the sugar, mix the zest of 1 lemon into the sugar, rubbing it in with your hands
- For extract: 1 1/2 tsp vanilla & 3/4 tsp almond extract
- No stir-ins
- Drizzle with white chocolate if you like, but they're amazing without it as well
- Before adding the sugar, mix the zest of 1 orange into the sugar, rubbing it in with your hands.
- For extract, use: 1 tsp vanilla, 3/4 tsp almond, and 1/2 tsp anise extract
- Add 1T of toasted fennel seeds to the flour mixture before adding to the batter. To toast the fennel seeds, spread them out on a cookie sheet and bake at 350°F for about 5 minutes, or until they're starting to brown a little and smell nice and toasty. You can then use them whole, or crush them up a bit before adding.