Almond Biscotti are truly simple to make. Having learned this recipe from my mom, it’s quickly become my “go-to” biscotti recipe.
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 flavours (for example, the anise flavor found in so many of the recipes can easily be replaced with vanilla flavoring).
I would like to share with you one of my Mom’s biscotti recipes. 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 favourites. It’s the first almond biscotti recipe I made all by myself as a teenager.
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- Yield: 3 dozen 1x
Ingredients
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure almond extract
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup whole almonds
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Position rack in the center.
- Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast in oven for about 12-15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift or 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 from oven and coarsely chop.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add flour mixture to egg mixture; stir with wooden spoon until just incorporated (do not over mix).
- Fold in chopped almonds.
- Divide dough into half. Place each half on the cookie sheet, shaping each half into a log.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until golden brown in colour and firm. Let cool slightly.
- Remove from baking sheet and transfer to cutting board.
- Using a serrated knife, slice cookies at an angle about ½ – ¾ inch thick.
- Place slices (standing up) back on the baking sheets, and return them to the oven for about another 20 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get).
Notes
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
- Category: Dolci
