She loves biscotti you say…more specifically Almond Biscotti.
My whole biscotti obsession started with this family recipe for Italian Almond Biscotti. Simple and great tasting -it will quickly become one of your favorites.
This recipe was originally published on September 28, 2014 and re-published on October 12, 2017 with updated content, photos and more recently with a video.
Born to Italian immigrants, growing up in Montreal, my definition of biscotti refers to a variety of cookies, which include the twice-baked cookie.
As a kid, I thought this cookie was too hard and looked boring. Whenever I opened the pantry door, there they were again, almond biscotti. I remember thinking why can’t we be like the other kids and have store-bought cookies. It was only as an adult that I came to appreciate this simple cookie which was absolutely created to be dunked.
If you have never ventured into the world of biscotti…you should.
They are truly simple to make, do not require any special cooking equipment (that means manual labor i.e. mixing by hand) and you can easily control the amount of sugar and the flavors (for example, the anise flavor found in this Anise Biscotti can easily be replaced with vanilla flavoring).
Be sure to consult this guide on How to Make Biscotti. It will provide you with all the tips and tricks to make the best homemade biscotti, every single time. This post also includes a recipe for Lemon Biscotti. If you like lemon cookies, you are going to love these!
Once you have combined the ingredients, it’s time to shape this mixture into logs. My method is definitely unconventional, but it works for me. I will use a large serving spoon to scoop out the dough and place it on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. I will then add another scoop adjacent to the batter on the cookie sheet and keep going until I have formed my two logs.
As far as the size of the log is concerned, you can make them as wide or as narrow as you want. I will usually make 3-3½ inch wide logs. Once I have placed the batter on the cookie sheets, I will gently “press” and shape the dough mixture into logs with my damp fingers. Like I mentioned, unconventional and amateurish…but hey, it works!
Once baked, allow them to cool off before attempting to slice them.
Biscotti, as you may know, is Italian for “twice-cooked” – so if you like a bit of a crunch, put those biscotti back in the oven again for the second round of baking. The longer these Italian biscotti stay in the oven, the crispier they will get. Although it is a well-known practice to bake these biscotti cookies twice, personnel preference should dictate for how long, if at all. These Almond Biscotti are fantastic even without the second baking.
Another well-known fact is that biscotti will last forever! Well, maybe not forever… but you get my point. Because they are baked twice, there is little moisture in the dough. Since biscotti are a low moisture cookie, this will allow you to store them at room temperature, where they will keep for a few weeks. It is best to keep them in an air-tight container.
Tips
- Start with ingredients that are at room temperature.
- Once the biscotti loaves are baked, allow them to cool down for at least ten minutes before slicing into them.
How do you cut biscotti without breaking them?
Allow the biscotti to cool down on a cookie rack before slicing into them. Carefully transfer the biscotti loaves to a cutting board. With a sharp serrated knife, slice the loaves at an angle into ½-inch thick slices.
Are biscotti supposed to be hard?
Yes, biscotti cookies are supposed to be hard. The best biscotti recipe will provide you with biscotti that are firm and crunchy. The word “biscotti” means twice baked; in doing so, the moisture is removed from these Italian cookies leaving you with a dry, dunk-able cookie.
How to store
Store your biscotti cookies in airtight containers, but they don’t need to be absolutely hermetically sealed. A slight flow of air will help them stay crispy!
You can store biscotti for up to 3 weeks in a variety of different containers, including glass or ceramics as well as cookie tins. A paper towel placed at the bottom of the container will help absorb excess moisture; making sure they stay crisp. Always store at room temperature -never the refrigerator.
Can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
More biscotti recipes
Biscotti is the perfect snack for any coffee or tea lover, with its crunchy additions of nuts and flavorful add-ins like dried fruit. Some favorites include these festive-looking pistachio biscotti, these earthy pumpkin biscotti as well as these decadent chocolate hazelnut biscotti.
They also make a great addition to any homemade Christmas cookie box.
Recipe origins for almond biscotti
As you can well imagine, every Italian family has “their” biscotti recipe and I have collected quite a few over the years. This is one of my personal favorites. In fact, my whole biscotti obsession started with this recipe. As you may have guessed, this was one of my mom’s recipes.
A simple and great tasting biscotti -I am sure they will quickly become one of your favorites!
I hope you enjoy these biscotti cookies with some Vin Santo, coffee, tea or even milk!
Don’t forget to dunk 🙂
THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.
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Ciao for now,
Maria
★★★★★ If you have made this recipe for Almond Biscotti, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!
Recipe
Almond Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds raw
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour 320 grams
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure almond extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F/165° C. Position rack in the center.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 12-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt and sugars).
- In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add olive oil, extracts, and zest. Whisk lightly together.
- When almonds are toasted, remove them from the oven and coarsely chop.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir with a wooden spoon until just incorporated.
- Fold in chopped almonds (make sure they have cooled off before incorporating in the batter).
- Use a large serving spoon to scoop out the dough and place it on the parchment-lined cookie sheet. Add another scoop adjacent to the batter on the cookie sheet and keep going until two logs are formed.With damp fingers, shape into a log shape.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown in color and firm. Allow to cool slightly for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from baking sheet and transfer to a cutting board.
- Using a serrated knife, slice cookies at an angle about ½ - ¾ inch thick.
- Place slices back on the baking sheets and return them to the oven for about another 15-20 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get). Turn them over at the halfway mark.
- Place on a wire rack to cool.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Heather
Very delicious and easy!
Maria
Hi Helene! So glad to hear you enjoyed these almond biscotti. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it 🙂
Ann
I followed the recipe as written but I didn’t like it. The biscotti are edible, but not great. I don’t like the almond extract in there, olive oil gives them a funny taste, and I don’t care for brown sugar in biscotti. That’s just my opinion. Our tastes differ, so I would encourage others to try them for themselves.
Maria
Appreciate your comment Ann, thank you. I am truly sorry to hear you did not like them… as you say, our tastes are different.
It has been my experience that most recipes can be modified to suit personal preferences… it does however take a little tweaking. Take for example this recipe… you can replace the brown sugar with white granulated sugar, the almond extract can be eliminated, and you can replace the olive oil with a neutral tasting oil or even butter (with a little tweaking as to the total amount).
Thanks for trying this family recipe for almond biscotti. Hope you are able to find a biscotti recipe that suits your personal tastes.
Bill
This recipe worked really well; I did make a few slight modifications though. I was making this for a friend and she is allergic to almonds. Instead of almonds I used pistachios and instead of almond extract I used 1 Tblsp. of Anise extract. I also added 3/4 C. chopped dried cherries. Everything else I followed exact and they came out great. The anise flavor wasn’t too strong, so if anybody likes a strong anise taste, I would add more than the 1 Tblsp.
Thanks for posting this recipe, it seems pretty versatile; I plan on making several varieties for the upcoming holidays.
Maria
Hi Bill, I am thrilled to hear your enjoyed this biscotti recipe. I love the combination you tried. As you say, it really is a great basic dough to work with. Appreciate your comment. Thanks so much for taking the time to share 🙂
Becky
I made these this weekend and they came out perfect! It’s my first time using olive oil in a recipe and initially I thought I’d miss butter but these have a warm, rich flavor. Thanks for sharing! xo Becky
Maria
You made my day Becky! I am thrilled to hear you enjoyed the recipe for almond biscotti. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it ♥
Shannon
I tried the recipe and it is delicious! Mine came out super crumbly so I’m not sure what happened! This is my first try though so I’m happy with them! So delicious!!!!
Maria
Thanks Shannon 🙂 It really is a great biscotti recipe. It took me a couple of test runs before I got the dough right. Remember to always fluff the flour before measuring it. Also, the oven temperature might be another factor. I just recently was having problems with my mom’s recipe for ciambella (Italian ring cake)… it just would not rise… Now, this is a cake I make once a week, so I could not understand this. The date on my baking powder was good -still I went out to buy another one… and still my cake did not rise. Then I bought an oven thermometer… would you believe my oven was off by almost 25 degrees? So, needless to say, the oven might be a factor. I would try decreasing the amount of time in the oven of the first bake. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with these biscotti, appreciate it!
Terry
I have a few friends who cannot eat nuts, how can the same good almond flavor without them, almond flour was too pricey to buy
Maria
Hi Terry, Unfortunately almond flour is made by grinding almonds and I have not tested the recipe without the almonds.
I can suggest this recipe for anise biscotti as they are totally nut free. I made them for a colleague of mine and she just loved them! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Katie
This is a great recipe! Easy, fast, delicious. I experiment often with biscotti and have never used brown sugar. It adds a nice caramel note. I love using olive oil in this recipe as my standard go-to favorite recipe contains butter at room temperature. So with these, there’s no waiting for the butter to soften & no mixer which feels more gratifying, right? It’s definitely adaptable to other flavor and nut combinations too. Thank you! Made them last night. Will definitely bake them again soon!
Maria
Amazing Katie! Yes, there are infinite variables with this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing your experience with making these almond biscotti, truly appreciate it ♥
Pat Zanto
I was looking forward to trying this recipe as I find the store bought are, tasteless and too dried out. I loved using olive oil, which is different from other recipes I looked at. They are delicious and the best part? The cook gets to sample the “ends” while the cookies go in for the second bake. Yum!
Maria
lol… that is also my favorite part!
I am thrilled to hear you like the recipe Pat. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, appreciate it.
Have a wonderful week-end 🙂
Ellie
Me too!! I’m a first timer and they were delicious!! Very easy to follow recipe—thank you!!
Maria
My pleasure Diane ♥ have a great week-end and thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Marlene Battiste
My favorite. Love all your recipies. I am Italian.
Maria
Thanks so much Marlene 🙂 Although I love all biscotti recipes, like you, these almond biscotti are one of my favorites. Appreciate your comment. Thanks for stopping by 🙂