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Toasted Almond Biscotti
Tender and crisp biscotti! They're perfectly sweet and infused with orange, plus almond and dark chocolate chips. Perfect for the holidays!
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (120g) dark chocolate chips
- ¾ cup (100g) whole toasted almonds
- ¼ cup (40g) dried cranberries (optional)
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- zest of one large navel orange
- ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
- ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 egg, well beaten for brushing
- coarse sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- First toast the almonds. Place them in a dry frying pan over medium heat and cook while shaking the pan frequently until they darken in color and smell fragrant. Some of the almonds should start to split and pop and crackle when they are ready. Transfer them to a tray to cool completely.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.
- Combine eggs, sugar, orange zest and almond extract in a medium bowl and whisk vigorously until thickened and lightened in color like custard. Whisk in melted butter.
- Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until most of the flour is absorbed. Then, add the toasted almonds, chocolate chips and cranberries (if you choose to use them) and fold them through to distribute evenly. The dough will be a bit stiff and sticky.
- Divide dough in half and place it onto a lightly floured work surface. With lightly floured hands, gently roll each portion into an 11 to 12-inch log and then transfer the logs onto the prepared baking sheet spacing them about 3 inches apart. Flatten logs with your hands so that they are about 2½ inches wide and ¾-inch high.
- Brush flattened logs lightly with beaten egg and sprinkle with sugar if desired. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack and cool for at least 30 minutes so that the cookie logs no longer feel soft and are firm enough to slice neatly. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F.
- Use a sharp serrated knife to slice logs diagonally into ½-inch pieces and place them back onto the baking sheet so they are laying flat on one side. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until dry and crisp. You can flip them halfway through this baking time if desired. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with a cup of coffee or espresso!
