simple biscotti
I love going to coffee houses. The sounds, the smells, just the atmosphere alone is enough to perk me up. I'm also a big fan of the bakery portion that's usually included with coffee houses. There is always an assortment of treats.
Recently, a great little coffee shop opened up in the town where I live. One of their options is a French press setup that includes a piece of biscotti. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed dipping the crunchy cookie into hot coffee. However, I had also forgotten that they like to charge $2-$3 a piece. And that I do not enjoy.
So, as I do when I usually get pissed about having to overpay for something, I went home and tried to figure out how to make it myself. Like homemade pesto, I was surprised to find that biscotti is inexpensive and simple to make. Another great thing is that you can flavor it however you like...chocolate, vanilla, mint, cinnamon, almond. However, I find that the simple flavors of vanilla and almond are my favorite.
The hardest part about this recipe is the double-baking to get the crispness of the cookie, but they're great for a Saturday afternoon baking project.
For the record, I will have you all know that I brewed a pot of coffee at 4 in the afternoon just so I could get a pretty picture.
simple biscotti
prep time: 20 minutes | refrigeration time: 30 minutes | cook time: 50 minutes
experience level: easy peasy | specialty: dessert
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 8 tbsp unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pure almond extract*
Mix sugar, butter, eggs, and extracts together using a stand mixer. While those are beating, stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, 1/2 cup at a time. Make sure these are blended well. The dough will be pretty sticky. Separate the dough into two glass bowls. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit / 177 degrees Celsius and prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Before handling the dough, I recommend lightly flouring your hands, as it will still be pretty sticky. Form the dough into two "logs" that are around 18 inches by 3 inches. Pat it down and make the logs as flat and uniformly rectangular as possible.
Bake the biscotti for 30 minutes, until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes, or until you're able to handle the cookies without burning yourself. Using this video (the woman irritates me...I don't need a cheerleader in the kitchen, thanks), cut the biscotti at an angle.
Return the cut cookies to the baking sheet, cut side up. Allow to bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, flip to the other side and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes.
Once the cookies are sufficiently crunchy, transfer them to a cooling rack.
These cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to a week, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Side Note: If you don't like almond flavoring, just double up on the vanilla extract. You can also do what I did and dip some of them in chocolate (though I recommend milk chocolate...the dark was too intense for the cookie flavoring).
