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.
You May Also Like
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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These sound wonderful! Could I use sliced almonds instead of slivered?
Sure – enjoy! 🙂
Thank you Jenn. I love your recipes and your site … so helpful!
This is my first attempt at making biscotti. I had a friend that used to make it for me, but he never gave me his recipe. This is a bit different from what I remember (a bit more buttery), but very tasty. I left out the anise because I didn’t have any. Also substituted part of the sugar for stevia. I left in oven after the last bake until the oven cooled, to make them more crunchy. Only downfall is they are a bit more crumbly than I remember. I dip in my coffee/latte & they seem to crumble into it. Any idea how to make it less crumbly, but keep the hardness? Overall, very tasty & well satisfied!!
Great cookies. The pepper is an unexpected star ingredient which I have already incorporated into another recipe. I have never baked with pepper before makings these cookies, but I will be experimenting with pepper in other baking recipes. Do you have any other baking recipes using pepper? What a clever ingredient to use in baking. Thanks for sharing your wonderful pepper tip. 😊
Glad you liked these! The one other baked good with pepper that comes to mind is my pumpkin pie. Hope you enjoy if you make it! 🙂
Thanks Jenn!
Jenn:
My cookie comments should have been for the Cinnamon/Walnut Biscotti – I guess a clicked on the wrong cookie to comment on – sorry.
The flavor of these biscotti is wonderful, but mine do not slice well. They crumble and break apart and so do not look beautiful. What can I do to make more even slices?
Hi Rosemary, Sorry you had a problem with these! Did you let the biscotti cool for 20 minutes before slicing them? That timing is really the sweet spot to slice them without crumbling them. And did you use a serrated knife to slice them?
Nice recipe. I reduced the butter to one stick (8Tb) and reduced sugar a bit. Substituted almond flour for some of the flour. Increased anise seeds to 1 Tb. Nice.
These biscotti were great to make for Canada day and it was my 1st attempt at making them and it sure won’t be my last! I replaced the corn meal with ground almonds, omitted the anise and used 2 tsp Amaretto liquor instead of the vanilla plus 2 tsp Almond extract. My boyfriend likes biscotti too but not if they are too dry so I baked 1 loaf only once, sliced them and gave 1 to him to try. It passed! I twiced-baked the other 3 loaves and those are for me with my coffee 🙂 This recipe is a winner Jenn and I am definitely going to try your other biscotti recipes!!
Hi Jenn,
I can’t wait to try these! One quick question first, should the butter be cold or room temperature? Thanks and I love ALL of your recipes!
Hi Annie, it can be cold. Enjoy!
Hi Jen!
How much whole wheat flour can I swap in for the white flour?
Thanks!
Hi Ruthie, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make these, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). Please LMK how they turn out if you make any tweaks!
I did use whole wheat flour in mine. That may be why they are a bit crumbly.
Hi Carolyn, that’s likely the case. Glad you enjoyed them nevertheless!
Hi Jen – I’m excited to make these! Question – I do not like anise flavor. If I omit the anise, would you recommend replacing it with some other flavor profile?
Many thanks and I love your recipes!
Glad you like the recipes! You can just omit the anise seeds (but I think they really enhance the flavor of the biscotti, and I don’t even like licorice). Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Jen,
Can hazelnuts be substituted for almonds? If so, would you still keep the almond extract and anise seeds?
Yes and yes (make sure the hazelnuts are chopped). Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Hello, I am hoping to make the recipe later this week, will it work to replace some or all of the flour with spelt flour? I know the biscotti will be a 5, but I’ll also review afterwards!
Thanks, Lena
Hi Lena, I don’t have any experience with spelt flour so it’s hard for me to say whether or not it would work here — sorry!