Almond Biscotti
Biscotti literally means “twice baked”: first as a log, then as slices dried until crisp. There’s no butter, so they’re deliberately dry and firm — made for dunking in coffee, tea or dessert wine. We use whole skin-on almonds, because nuts sliced clean through look best on the cut face.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 56 min
- Rest
- 35 min
- Total
- 1 h 56 min
- Servings
- 30
- Level
- Medium
- Per serving
- 87 kcal
Ingredients
Makes: about 30 biscotti
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Method
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Step 1: Toast the almonds
Heat the oven to 175 °C (350 °F). Toast the almonds on a dry tray for 8 minutes until lightly fragrant, then cool. Line the tray with baking paper.
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Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and finely grated orange zest.
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Step 3: Make the dough
Beat the eggs and yolk with the vanilla, pour into the flour mixture and stir with a spatula, then bring together with your hands. Add the almonds and knead until evenly distributed. The dough will be sticky but hold its shape.
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Step 4: Shape the logs
With wet hands, shape two logs on the baking paper, about 25 cm long, 6 cm wide and 2 cm high, spaced 8 cm apart. Brush with milk.
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Step 5: First bake
Bake for 25–30 minutes, until firm and golden with small cracks on top.
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Step 6: Slice
Let the logs cool for 15 minutes and lower the oven to 160 °C (320 °F). Cut the warm logs on the diagonal into 1.5 cm slices with a serrated knife, using one firm stroke.
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Step 7: Second bake
Lay the slices cut side up on the tray and dry for 10 minutes, then turn and dry for another 8–10 minutes, until the edges are pale golden. They crisp up fully as they cool.
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Step 8: Cool
Move to a rack and cool completely, about 20 minutes.
Tips & variations
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Tip
Slice the logs while warm: cold ones crumble, hot ones squash under the knife.
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Variation
Swap some of the almonds for pistachios or hazelnuts, and the orange zest for lemon zest or a pinch of ground anise.
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Tip
If the biscotti are still soft in the middle once cool, return them to a 160 °C oven for another 5 minutes — it’s drying, not browning, that makes them crisp.
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Storage
In an airtight jar, biscotti keep their crunch for up to 3 weeks.
Nutrition
| 1 serving | Whole dish 30 servings | |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 87 kcal | 2,610 kcal |
| Protein | 2 g | 69 g |
| Fat | 3 g | 84 g |
| Carbohydrates | 12 g | 360 g |
Approximate values calculated from standard ingredient data.
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