Your Go-To Almond Biscotti Recipe - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making biscotti? ›

One of the reasons biscotti is the perfect crunchy treat is its double-baking process. After the initial baking, the biscotti is sliced and then baked again, which gives it its unique dry and crunchy texture. This makes it perfect for dunking into your favorite hot beverage without losing its shape or becoming soggy.

Despite their centuries-old heritage, there is no one perfect way to make biscotti. Some recipes call for eggs only, which is the traditional method, while others swear by butter or oil. The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life.

Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time.

How to Store Biscotti: Maximize Crunch & Prevent Soft Biscotti. To store biscotti, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. Lining the container with a paper towel will help soak up any excess moisture that finds its way in.

Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat. Baking powder makes dough rise because it contains both a base and an acid in dried form.

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

Unlike many traditional cookies, biscotti are often lower in fat and sugar. Add some heart healthy nuts and you have a satisfying and relatively light treat! This delicious cookie can easily be made vegan & vegetarian friendly.

American style biscotti are softer and generally sweeter than the classic Italian style. They're crunchy but not as hard as the Italian. We'll use the same tricks that I explained in the previous Classic Italian biscotti, but the directions will be somewhat different.

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

The trickiest parts of making them are the mixing and the shaping and baking. Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.

Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder in biscotti? ›

If you can't find baking powder you can make you own.

Baking soda is a common leavener used in baking, cookies muffins and biscotti when certain ingredients are also included.

If it feels firm but still gives a bit when you poke it, take it out for rather soft-textured but still crunchy biscotti.

Measuring your ingredients is the only way to make sure you're getting a consistent crunch in your biscotti! Do sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Sifting your ingredients together help avoid the hard middle in your biscotti!

Biscotti dough is inherently sticky. I recommend adequately flouring your hands before working the dough, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add a little flour at a time but just enough so you can work with it.

If the dough contains melted chocolate or other ingredients that make it sticky and hard to handle, simply refrigerate for at least an hour so it hardens more before kneading and shaping.

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

Like many cookies, biscotti is made with the creaming method — butter, sugar, and eggs beaten together to form a smooth emulsion that traps air. When baked, that trapped air expands to produce a fluffy, uniform texture.

If your biscotti are too soft then it is likely that the cookies were not baked for long enough second time around. If your biscotti slices are around 1/2cm/1/4 inch thick then they should only need around 20 minutes in an oven preheated to 180c/350F to dry out sufficiently.