Let’s Learn to Bake Biscotti
Biscotti – what are they? How do you eat them? And, how do you make them?! Read on to find out my secret to these yummy cranberry-almond biscotti that friends rave about. It was a best-selling item at my bakery. Now, you can have bakery-quality biscotti in your very own home.
What Are These Crunchy Cookies?
These are Sicilian or Italian cookies. The cookies are baked, sliced, and then baked again. This gives them their characteristic crunch. Thus, their name “biscotti,” which, means twice-baked. Normally, I like softer cookies, like these traditional Italian “S” cookies made with anise. But, these twice baked biscotti have a place at my table, too. Especially, when I am setting out tea or coffee for friends. I just love how they pair well with hot drinks.
How Do You Eat Biscotti?
The beautiful thing about biscotti is that they can be stored for an extended time since they are twice-baked. Therefore, you can keep these yummy cookies on hand and at the ready for coffee-time treats. Speaking of coffee, I love to eat these with a morning cup of dark-roasted espresso or cappuccino. I dunk them in the coffee to soften them up. Then, wash them down with a delightful swallow of my rich coffee. I also recommend them as an after-dinner treat with a cup of your favorite tea. They pair equally well with a warm cup of milk for an anytime pick-me-up.
What’s the Secret to Deliciousness? A Trip to Sicilia.
I have had many types of biscotti. Here in America, I have tried store bought and bakery bought. I thought the store bought were lacking in flavor and the bakery bought, well, not to my standard. It was not until I took a trip to Sicilia that I realized how tasty was a true, fresh-baked, deliciously full-flavored biscotti. The secret, of course, is in the ingredients. I doubly realized this once I visited Giuseppe’s organic farm in Sicily that produced almonds, oranges and olives in the ashen soils under the volcanic shadow of Mt. Etna. I highly recommend visiting him, he is fascinating and devoted to lovingly maintaining his long-standing family farm.
Let’s Bake Biscotti!
Please leave your comments below or share this recipe. I love to see and hear about what my readers are baking. Questions – post them below! I always answer. Sending happy and joyful baking blessings your way. Happy baking, my dear friends!
Cranberry Almond Biscotti
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer w/Dough Hook
- 1 Half Sheet Size Baking Tray
- 1 Bench scraper
Ingredients
- 200 grams Almond Paste 1 box
- 113 grams Unsalted Butter 1 stick
- 100 grams Almond Flour
- 150 grams Granulated Sugar
- 440 grams Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- ½ tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 4 ea Large Eggs
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- ½ tsp Almond Extract
- 100 grams Dried Cranberries
- 100 grams Sliced Almonds
- Couverture Chocolate White and Dark
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175℃/350℉.
- Prepare a large cookie sheet with precut parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients – sugar, almond flour, bread flour, baking soda, baking powder, and sea salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whip the eggs together with the vanilla and almond extracts until frothy. Set aside.
- Using a coarse cheese grater, grate the almond paste and butter into a stand-mixer's mixing bowl.
- Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer's bowl. Turn the mixer on to level 2 and mix butter, almond paste, and dry ingredients all together using the paddle attachment until incorporated and crumbly.
- Add the cranberries & the sliced almonds and just mix until distributed evenly.
- Add the egg mixture and mix just until the entire dough is wet and hydrated. Do not over mix.
- Flour a work surface and dump the dough from the mixing bowl onto the surface. Knead a few times until any bits of dry ingredients are mixed in.
- Divide the dough into four sections, roughly 325g each.
- Roll each piece of dough into a 10" (25 cm) log.
- Place each log parallel on the baking sheet.
- Using fingers, press the logs down so they are approximately 1" (2cm) thick and 4" (10 cm) wide.
- Using a bench scraper, cut each of the logs into 8 pieces.
Baking Instructions
- Bake the precut cookies for 20 minutes, until puffy and beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
- Using the bench scraper, cut cookies along the perforated marks and carefully turn them on their sides.
- Return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool 10 minutes. Flip the cookies on the opposite side.
- Bake for an additional 5 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place cookies on a cooling rack.
- Once cookies are completely cooled, stand them up on a cooling rack with a pan underneath.
- Melt the couverture chocolate over low heat. Drizzle chocolate over the cookies, dark first, then white.
- Place cookies in the refrigerator allowing the chocolate to harden. Remove and store at room temperature.
- Serve with coffee – Yum!
