Almond Biscotti, some delicious Italian-style biscuits packed with ground almonds, toasted almond flakes and a lovely touch of almond extract. The biscotti have no butter nor oil added, and are twice baked until golden and crunchy, perfect for dunking into your favourite tea or coffee. They are ideal everyday treats or homemade edible gifts during the festive season.
Biscotti are traditional Italian biscuits that are twice baked to give them their characteristic dry and crunchy texture. The dough is first shaped into a log and baked until firm, then sliced diagonally and baked again until golden and crisp.
They are particularly delicious dunked into coffee or tea, and can have lots of flavour variations, with almond being one of the most popular choice.
This recipe has been adapted from Nigella Lawson's Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti, and the biscotti are as good as they can get. Another great variation is my Cranberry and Orange Biscotti with Pistachios, which are perfect for the festive season.
Biscotti and Cantucci are often used interchangeably, but there is a small distinction. Biscotti (plural for biscotto) literally means twice cooked, and can describe a variety of biscuits. Cantucci, on the other hand, refer more specifically to almond biscuits from Tuscany.
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Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
Ingredients overview
- egg - at room temperature for an even bake, I used a large egg
- sugar -either caster or granulated, I tested the recipe with both and did not notice any difference in texture
- plain flour & baking powder - I have not tested the recipe with self-raising flour yet, so I am unsure it it works as well
- ground almonds- for extra nutty flavour
- almond flakes - they become beautifully crunchy when baked, but I still recommend toasting them beforehand for extra texture and flavour. You can also use whole almonds, toasted and chopped
- almond extract - adds a lovely almond touch
Step-by-step photos and instructions
- in a bowl, add the sugar and egg and use a hand mixer to cream them until smooth and pale yellow
- add the sifted flour, baking powder, ground almonds, almond extract and almond flakes
- mix all the ingredients well to get a sticky dough
- shape the dough into a long sausage, and transfer it to a non-stick baking tray ore one lined with non-stick paper
- bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 25 minutes until pale yellow
- remove from the oven, leave it to rest for 5 minutes, then use a bread knife to cut the loaf diagonally into slices of 2 cm thickness
- place each slice back onto the baking tray, and bake for a further 10 minutes until beautifully golden brown
Expert tips
Getting the right texture is crucial - they must be crisp enough to be able to be dunk into a hot drink and not crumble completely into the cup, but not rock hard that you can break your teeth into them.
I find that the no-fat dough is just perfect to achieve this texture, as butter can make them too crumbly; even if it does add to the flavour.
Shape the dough into an even thickness, so it can bake consistently. Slightly flatten the top before baking.
Don't skip the second bake, even if the biscotti look baked just fine after the first bake, they need the second bake to be perfectly crisp and golden. They need to cool down completely before you get the desired texture.
Recipe FAQs
The biscotti harden with the second baking, when all the moisture is dried out, so not baking them for long enough the second time round might be the issue. Also, bear in mind that they will harden even more once they cool down completely.
It is best to cut the biscotti after the first baking, but not straight away, as they will be too soft to handle. Let them cool for 5 minutes to harden slightly, then cut them, and bake for the second time.
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Almond Biscotti
Video
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 75 g granulated sugar (â…“ cup)
- 110 g plain flour (1 cup)
- 35 g ground almonds (â…“ cup)
- 60 g almond flakes (â…” cup)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions
- Add the egg and sugar to a large mixing bowl and use a hand mixer to beat them well until you have a creamy texture and a pale-yellow colour.
- Sift in the flour, add the almond extract, baking powder, ground almonds and almond flakes and mix to get a stick dough.
- Line a large rectangle baking tray with non-stick paper or use a non-stick baking tray, and shape the dough into a large sausage that is slightly flatten with your hands.
- Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 25 minutes until pale golden, then remove from the oven and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
- Use a bread knife to cut the load across diagonally into biscuits of about 2 cm thickness.
- Arrange the biscotti back onto the tray, and bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown, they will crisp up more then they cool down completely.
Notes
- Once they are out of the oven for the second time, the biscotti won't be perfectly crunchy, they will harden more when they cool down completely.
- I find that the no-fat dough is just perfect to achieve this texture, as butter can make them too crumbly - even if it does add to the flavour.
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