Almond Biscotti

Almond Biscotti

Day 7: My mom and I have a tradition. Each year on Christmas morning, as we wait for everyone else to wake up to open presents, we sit at the kitchen table, boil a pot of water, and have tea and biscotti for breakfast. Every time I make biscotti, it makes me think of Christmas morning and the indulgent feeling of having cookies for breakfast.

This is my current favorite biscotti recipe. They have a wonderful orange and almond flavor, perfect for Christmas. And just the right texture – the satisfying crunch that you expect, perfect for dipping in tea or coffee, yet not so crunchy that you feel like you could break a tooth.

Drizzle them with chocolate and you have the perfect snack (or breakfast) to go with a hot beverage on a cold winter day. Mike does not like biscotti at all, unfortunately. He refused to try these, and therefore does not have a rating. But trust me – they’re good.

Almond Biscotti Almond Biscotti
Almond Biscotti Almond Biscotti

P.S. You can see all of my Christmas treat recipes from over the years at thisย Christmas Cookiesย tag. Enjoy! And, as always, let me know if you try any and how you liked them.

Almond Biscotti

Ingredients:

  • 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1/3 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 1 cup sliced almonds
  • 1 large egg white

Directions:

  1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350ยฐF. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla extract, orange juice concentrate and zest in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well blended. Mix in almonds.
  3. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into 13 1/2-inch-long, 2 1/2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each log.
  4. Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool logs completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
  5. Transfer logs to cutting board; discard parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet.
  6. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool. Drizzle with semi-sweet or white chocolate for a special touch.

adapted from Smitten Kitchen

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11 comments

  1. i honestly don't think i've ever even had biscotti, let alone baked it. it looks wonderful!

  2. Do you believe I've never baked biscotti?! I can't imagine why. SK's recipe looks good and you did a super job with them. I might just try.
    Also had to comment on the fudge cookies in the post previous. I did a chocolate/peppermint cookie a few posts ago and was amazed at how much I liked them. (not being much of a peppermint fan) So now I'll have to try yours!

  3. You know I've never made biscotti! I've had it before (at starbucks, not sure if that's a good representative biscotti or not). Sounds good!

  4. I just made biscotti for the second time in my lifer and hope to post about it tomorrow- I LOVE your recipe – it looks great!

  5. These biscotti look great. I was never a fan of biscotti until I made some at home (the store-bought stuff is just too rock hard for me).

    Can't wait to see what you bake for Day 8 ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Never made biscotti! Looks yummy. ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Your biscotti sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. So many people who have said they've never had biscotti! Try them – they are perfect for dipping in tea or coffee. Or hot chocolate – my personal preference ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Your biscotti look beautiful! I love biscotti, but mine never turn out very well… They always end up being super crumbly after I cut them. I'll have to give these a try!

  10. Hi! This is my first time here. Have baked biscotti once, they were super hard, even after dipping in hot coffee. Yours look nice, maybe will try again.

  11. Cheah – Definitely try these – they are much softer than what you're describing. You can eat them with or without coffee ๐Ÿ™‚

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