Almond Biscotti
Photo: Tara Striano
I'm not really a lingerer at the table. For a little lady, I take serious bites (and I like second helpings while they're still warm, please). But at the oven, things are different. This biscotti recipe is for the slow Sunday cook in all of us. The name means "twice baked," and they are, so there's no rushing to the finish line. This recipe can be varied in any number of ways—you can change up the nuts, add dried fruit, replace the almond extract with citrus zest, the list goes on and on. But start with the original first. I swear, you'll want to make a batch every week.
Makes 3 dozen
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, working them in one at a time until fully incorporated.
Add the vanilla and butter, mixing well until the dough begins to form. It will not come together completely. Add the almonds and stir to evenly distribute.
Turn out the dough onto a cookie sheet with lightly floured hands. Divide it in half and shape it into two logs, each about 1 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide.
Bake the biscotti for 20 minutes (this is the first of 2 times you'll be baking them), rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Take it out and let the logs rest on the sheet for 20 minutes. They'll still be slightly spongy to the touch, kind of like dense bread. Lower the oven temp to 250°F.
After 20 minutes, transfer the logs to a cutting board. Cut them into 1/2-inch slices using a serrated knife. Finally, move the slices (cut side up for any ends) back to one sheet and bake for 40 minutes more. The biscotti will still be slightly soft while warm but will harden fully once they've cooled.
Variations
Makes 3 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup cornmeal
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or almond extract
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup almonds, coarsely chopped
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Beat together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the eggs, working them in one at a time until fully incorporated.
Add the vanilla and butter, mixing well until the dough begins to form. It will not come together completely. Add the almonds and stir to evenly distribute.
Turn out the dough onto a cookie sheet with lightly floured hands. Divide it in half and shape it into two logs, each about 1 1/2 inch thick and 2 inches wide.
Bake the biscotti for 20 minutes (this is the first of 2 times you'll be baking them), rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Take it out and let the logs rest on the sheet for 20 minutes. They'll still be slightly spongy to the touch, kind of like dense bread. Lower the oven temp to 250°F.
After 20 minutes, transfer the logs to a cutting board. Cut them into 1/2-inch slices using a serrated knife. Finally, move the slices (cut side up for any ends) back to one sheet and bake for 40 minutes more. The biscotti will still be slightly soft while warm but will harden fully once they've cooled.
Variations
- Lemony Biscotti: Add the zest of 1 lemon when you add the vanilla.
- Chocolate-Dipped Biscotti: Dip either the flat side of the biscotti or one of the pointy tips into melted chocolate. Use melted bittersweet or semisweet chocolate.
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