Biscotti
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These almond-flavored biscotti are everything you want biscotti to be: buttery, lightly sweet, crunchy, and perfect to dunk in coffee or tea any time of day!
Photo by Alexandra Grablewski (Chronicle Books, 2018)
Inspired by the biscotti recipe from the renowned Zuni Cafe in San Francisco, these Italian cookies are made by forming a fragrant, almond-studded dough into loaves, partially baking it, slicing it, and then baking it again. This almond biscotti is everything biscotti should be: buttery, lightly sweet, and crunchy without being tooth-shattering—and just as perfect with your morning coffee as they are with dessert wine or afternoon tea. Pair this almond biscotti recipe with your favorite sweets, like vanilla ice cream, chocolate ice cream, Vietnamese coffee ice cream, hot fudge sundaes, or raspberry cream parfaits.
“Once again, your recipe did not fail to impress. OMG, were these ever incredible! They had a lovely buttery texture and just the right amount of crunch and almond flavour.”
What You’ll Need To Make Biscotti
- All Purpose Flour: Provides the structure for the biscotti. Measure by spooning it into the measuring cup and leveling it off to ensure accuracy.
- Cornmeal: Adds a slight crunch and unique flavor. It may sound unusual, but really elevates the biscotti.
- Baking Powder: Leavens the dough, giving it a light texture.
- Anise Seeds: Imparts a subtle licorice flavor that complements the almonds nicely. You can omit the anise seeds if you like, but I think they bring the cookies to life (and I’m not a fan of licorice!).
- Butter: Adds richness and moisture.
- Sugar: Sweetens the biscotti.
- Large Eggs: Binds the ingredients and adds richness.
- Vanilla Extract: Enhances the flavor of the biscotti with its aromatic richness. You can introduce other spices or flavors to the biscotti (i.e., cinnamon, lemon zest). See the frequently asked questions below for more information.
- Almond Extract: Intensifies the almond flavor of the dough.
- Slivered Almonds: Adds crunch and a nutty flavor. Almonds are the most common nut used in biscotti. However, other nuts can also be used, such as hazelnuts, walnuts, pistachios, and pecans.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Set the oven temperature to 350°F and place the oven racks in the upper and middle thirds of the oven.
Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, anise seeds and salt in a medium or large bowl.
Whisk until well combined and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.
Add the chopped almonds and dry ingredients to the batter.
And mix on low speed until just combined.
Dust your hands with flour and form the dough into two even disks. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Divide each disk in half, and form the dough into logs about 2 inches wide and ¾-inch tall on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until the dough is firm and golden around the edges.
Let the logs cool for about 15 minutes, then use a serrated knife to slice them diagonally into 1/2-inch pieces.
Place the biscotti cut side down back on the lined baking sheet and cook for 10 to 14 minutes more, flipping once in between. Cool biscotti completely on the baking sheet before serving.
Make-Ahead, Storage & Freezing Instructions
The biscotti will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months; double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. If you’d like to freeze the dough before baking, shape it into logs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the logs from the freezer, thaw the dough until pliable, and then proceed with recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, dried fruit can add a nice twist to your biscotti. You can add about 1 cup of dried cranberries, raisins, dried cherries along with the slivered almonds. If using dried fruit, consider also adding a teaspoon of lemon zest or orange zest to highlight the fruit flavor.
Absolutely! You can enhance the flavor of this biscotti recipe by adding spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, or even using different extracts such as coconut. Just be mindful of the quantities so the flavors don’t overwhelm the base. For recipe variations, be sure to check out my walnut cinnamon biscotti and chocolate biscotti.
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Almond Biscotti
These almond-flavored biscotti are everything you want biscotti to be: buttery, lightly sweet, crunchy, and perfect to dunk in coffee or tea any time of day!
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with knife
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon anise seeds, crushed with the back of a spoon into a powder
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1⅓ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon almond extract
- 1¾ cups slivered almonds, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and set the oven racks in the upper and middle thirds of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and crushed anise seeds.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts. Add the flour mixture and almonds and mix on low speed until just combined. Dust your hands lightly with flour and divide the dough into evenly into two disks; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide each disk into two equal pieces. Dust your hands with flour and form each portion into logs about 2-inches wide and ¾-inch tall directly on the lined baking sheets (if the dough is sticky, dust your hands with more flour as necessary). Leave about 4 inches of space between the logs to allow the dough to spread. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans from top to bottom and front to back midway through, until the loaves are firm to the touch and golden around the bottom edges. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
- Once cool, transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife and a sawing motion, cut the logs diagonally into generous ½-inch slices. (They will look a little undercooked in the middle.) Arrange the cookies, cut side down, back on one of the lined baking sheets. It will be a tight squeeze; it's not necessary to leave any space between the cookies. Return to the oven on the middle rack and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until lightly golden on the underside. Remove the pan from the oven, carefully flip the biscotti over and cook for 5 minutes more, until lightly golden all over. Let cool on the baking sheet completely before serving. The cookies will keep in an airtight container for up to a month.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The dough can be frozen for up to 3 months: Shape the dough into logs, wrap each securely in plastic wrap, and place them in a sealable bag. When ready to bake, remove the logs from the freezer, thaw the dough until pliable, and then proceed with recipe. To freeze after baking: After the cookies are completely cooled, double-wrap them securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (48 servings)
- Serving size: 1 biscotti
- Calories: 93
- Fat: 4g
- Saturated fat: 2g
- Carbohydrates: 12g
- Sugar: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 2g
- Sodium: 60mg
- Cholesterol: 14mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made these almond biscotti for the first time. They taste wonderful!! I am just wondering why they cracked a little on the top after the first baking? After they were sliced and baked for the second time, they looked great. Love your cookbook!!
Hi Margie, a little cracking is normal — it’s just the nature of biscotti. Glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Hi! Can you use anise extract instead of the seeds? If so, how much?
Sure – I’d suggest about 1/2 teaspoon extract. Please LMK how they turn out!
Hi Jenn, I made this recipe a few months back and LOVED it. I’m revisiting now and realizing that I only have white cornmeal on hand, as opposed to yellow. Do you think it will make a difference? Thanks in advance for your help!
Sure, white cornmeal will work! 🙂
Hi Jen and Thankyou for your beautiful fullproof recipes I’ve made a few now!! 😊I have a question on your biscotti recipe — if you add less sugar do you have to add something else in its place as volume or consistency?
Hi Angela, Glad you like the recipes! You could get away with cutting 1/4 – 1/3 cup of the sugar with no additional ingredients needed. I wouldn’t cut it anymore than that or it will impact the texture of the biscotti. Hope that helps!
One of my cooking goals this year – learn how to make biscotti. Done. These are amazingly delicious. I left out the anise because I do not like anise. I did not have almonds on hand, so they were left out as well. I only got half the cookie yield expected, so I need to work on my shaping. The flavor was wonderfully rich on day one and has only gotten better as they have aged – on day five now. Great crunch. I think the cornmeal gives the cookies just the right mouth feel. My family loves biscotti and I’m so happy I can now make them.
Jen, i’ve Made these biscotti quite a few times, and love the anise taste. I was wondering how to make the biscotti have even more of an anise taste…….any suggestions? Should I eliminate the almond extract and add anise extract? Anise liqueur?
Glad you like these Denise! To get a stronger anise flavor, you could replace the almond and 1 tsp. of the vanilla extract with anise extract. 🙂
Hi Jen,
Just purchased your cookbook, and have already made these biscotti twice; they are fabulous! I love anise, and I think it really complements the Almond flavouring. My husband thinks they are delicious, and enjoys eating them on their own when he’s not dipping them into his tea. They are just the right amount of crunch and sweetness. I just have one question: what does the addition of cornmeal do in this recipe? Does it contribute to the crunchy texture?
So glad you enjoyed, Ella! It does add the nice crunchy texture and also a bit of flavor.
Hi Jenn, I love these biscotti! I’m going to make a batch for party favours and the boxes they need to fit into are exactly 4” long. I am wondering if I can divide the dough into 3 logs vs the 2 logs in the recipe, so that the biscotti are slightly smaller. Would that change the texture at all? Do I need to adjust any of the baking times?
Thank you so much!
Molly
Hi Molly, cutting the biscotti into 3 logs shouldn’t impact the texture or the baking time. Just make sure you keep the dimensions of each log the same (2-inches wide and 3/4-inch tall). Hope everyone enjoys! 🙂
My 12 yr old woke early to make this for a Mother’s Day surprise. We’ve never made biscotti before so I’m impressed that he took it on and am happy to say it was a success! Your recipe was wonderful! Thanks.
Honestly, this biscotti is better than any that I’ve had from a coffee house or restaurant. My family all think I’m a genius when I bake this for them. It keeps for a long time in a closed container, and also ships well. Make it exactly as the recipe is written – don’t change a thing. The anise seeds give it that authentic biscotti flavor, and the almonds a bit of crunch that sends it over the top. This is my go-to biscotti recipe and it has become a tradition in my home. Thanks Jennifer! This is definitely worth five stars.
I could barely wait until the biscotti were done baking, they smelled so wonderful! It was a snowy day so the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon, baking. Jenn’s directions were spot on, as always. My oven is on the slower side, so I kept them in the oven about 10 minutes/side for the final bake so they had that golden look. And they are as delicious as I had hoped!