Recipe: Almond Biscotti

Credit: Darla Furlani

Whether holiday treat or breakfast staple, this biscotti is easy and tasty

We love to make biscotti, especially during the holidays

These are great any time of the year, warm from the oven and served with a cup of coffee for dunking.

Ingredients

• 5 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose white flour
• 6 tsp baking powder
• 2 1/4 cups whole almonds, unblanched
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup olive oil
• 6 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 3 tsp orange zest
• 1 egg white

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C).
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, and almonds in a large mixing bowl.
3. In another bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, olive oil, vanilla and almond extracts, and orange zest.
4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until a soft, slightly sticky dough is formed. If dough is too sticky, add a little more flour; it shouldn’t stick to the cutting board.
5. Place dough onto a floured cutting board and knead into a smooth ball. Cut dough into 6 equal pieces.
6. Roll each piece into a 12-in (30-cm) long log about 3 in (8 cm) in diameter.
7. Place logs on an unoiled cookie sheet, 3 in (7.5 cm) apart.
8. Beat the egg white in a small bowl until fluffy, then use to brush tops of the biscotti logs.
9. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
10. Place logs onto a cutting board and cut diagonally into 3/4-in (2-cm) thick slices.
11. Stand the biscotti upright on the cookie sheet and bake for another 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack.
13. Store in an airtight container for up to six months or freeze for up to a year.

Recipe and photo republished with permission from: From the Olive Grove: Mediterranean Cooking with Olive Oil by Helen and Anastasia Koutalianos, Arsenal Pulp Press, 2010.