Easy Gourmet Biscotti Recipe

by lakeerieartists

I created my own biscotti recipe when I got frustrated with the Italian biscotti cookies that I was buying from the grocery store or bakeries.

I created my own biscotti recipe when I got frustrated with the Italian biscotti cookies that I was buying from the grocery store or bakeries. Most of them were tasteless and uninteresting. I decided to see if I could do better.

I started by making every Italian cookie recipe that I could get my hands on. My family was very happy with me at the time, because they were my taste testers. My next step was to create a new biscotti recipe by adjusting measurements of ingredients until I came up with a basic biscotti recipe that I loved. From that recipe, I could change and adapt with different flavor ingredients. The recipe on this hub is my result. I have used it over and over again. These biscotti may not exactly be your nonni's biscotti, but they are delicious.

Baking Gourmet Italian Biscotti

Baking biscotti is one of the best Italian cookies recipes that I have ever made, and baking biscotti does not require fancy ingredients or pans, so anyone can make them. Biscotti can last unrefrigerated in a covered tin or container for 4 weeks. You can freeze them for up to 6 months. I tend to make large batches at a time, then eat them slowly. You can increase this recipe easily by just doubling or tripling the ingredients.

Biscotti are one of the most popular of all the Italian cookies. They can be baked weeks ahead and last for a long time unfrozen or refrigerated. They are great for dunking in coffee, tea, or wine depending on the flavors, and are so easy to bake. The ingredients for this biscotti recipe can be found in any grocery store. No need to go to a specialty store for them. These are ingredients that you can keep on hand for baking, and store for quite some time, enabling you to bake fresh biscotti for any unexpected guests.

Best Biscotti Mixer

KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer KSM150 Review
A review of the best 5 quart stand mixer for home kitchen use.

Easy Gourmet Biscotti Recipe

Easy Gourmet Biscotti Recipe


Prep time 5 min  -  Total time 60 min
Ingredients for 15 servings
1/2 cup unsalted butter  • 3/4 cup sugar  • 2 eggs  • 2 tablespoons liqueur or liquor  • 1/4 teaspoon real vanilla extract  • 2 cups unbleached flour  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder  • 1/4 teaspoon salt  • 1 cup of nuts  • 4 oz of bittersweet chocolate  • 1 cup of dried fruit

Preparing the Biscotti

Before you start assembling ingredients for the biscotti, toast the nuts. They can be toasted a day or two before you bake the biscotti to cut down on time. Make sure they are cool before you use them.


Nuts

I buy the nuts raw and toast them in my oven. I toast them at 350 dgrees for 6 to 10 minutes depending on the size of the nuts. I think they taste better and they are healthier than roasted nuts. Do not use salted nuts.


Fruit

I like a tart fruit because it blends well with the sweetness of the dough. You only need to soak the fruit for a few minutes while you are mixing the rest of the dough.


Making the Biscotti Dough

To make the biscotti dough, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Once the butter sugar combination is very fluffy, beat in the eggs first. Then once mixed well, add the liqueur you have chosen and the vanilla extract. Mix the ingredients thoroughly.

Next add the dry ingredients--flour, baking powder and salt. These can be added at the same time. Mix them in until well blended. At this point, your dough will be difficult to mix and somewhat stiff unless you have used a lot of liquid. If you have, your dough will be sticky.

Once your dough is completely mixed, you can fold in the nuts, fruit and chocolate. The more you add, the harder the dough will be to mix, but that is okay because the biscotti will still come out okay. Remember, that when they bake the ingredients become more fluid.


Baking the Biscotti

You can bake right on your tray, but I like to line the baking pan with parchment paper. Parchment paper eliminates the need to butter the pan, and reduces the fat in the cookies. The biscotti will not stick to the parchment paper. You can reuse the parchment paper a couple of times until it becomes brown or brittle.

Make one or two loaves (in a baguette or hot dog shape) on the parchment paper. You can alter the size of the biscotti by the width of the loaves.

Biscotti are twice baked cookies. The first baking is in the loaf shape. Bake the loaves in a preheated 325 degree oven between 25 and 40 minutes. This will depend on your oven so watch the first couple of batches very carefully after 25 minutes.


Second Baking

Each loaf should be lightly browned when you take it out. Let the loaves cool for a minimum of 10 minutes. If the center is too hot when you slice the loaves, they will fall apart. If you have chocolate in the biscotti, cool for at least 15 minutes..

Once cool enough, slice the loaves crossways with a very sharp knife to create individual biscotti. I use a Santoku knife for this. If you slice on a diagonal the biscotti will be longer. Slicing straight across will make them shorter. You can determine the width as you slice also.

For the second baking, stand the biscotti up on their bottom edge (as if they were still in the loaf) with about a 1/4 inch between them. Bake them this second time at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. The longer you bake them the drier they will be. If 10 minutes isn't enough, bake them longer.

Recipe  3.7/5 Stars (3 Votes)

Parchment Paper for Baking Biscotti

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How to Create Different Biscotti Flavors

Add the following ingredients to change the flavor of your biscotti. Remember that the alcohol cooks out of the liquor when it is baked, and you are left with the flavor.

  • Chocolate Cherry Biscotti

    Add powdered cocoa and ground chocolate to the dough and vodka soaked dried cherries.
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti

    My favorite way to make this is to grind semi-sweet chocolate up very fine and swirl it through the dough. Then I chop the hazelnuts in uneven sizes and mix it in. Of course, I need to add Frangelico to this recipe.
  • Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti

    Add either Vodka or Grand Marnier, dried cranberries soaked in the liquid, and toasted pistachios.
  • Lemon Biscotti

    Add lemon juice, lemon extract and the zest of one whole lemon.
  • Anise Biscotti

    Add nutmeg, and anise extract.
  • Almond Biscotti

    I prefer vanilla almond, but you can use almond extract or Amaretto instead of vanilla to enhance this flavor. Can be made with or without toasted almonds.
  • Orange Apricot Pistachio Biscotti

    Grand Marnier, dried apricots, and pistachios. Dough is very sticky.
  • Vanilla Almond Biscotti

    This is the basic biscotti. I like to chop the almonds coarsely and add vanilla and Kahlua. I usually use more vanilla than the recipe asks for. You can also use Amaretto for this recipe.
  • Almond Hazelnut Biscotti

    This has both nuts and vanilla and either Kahlua or Frangelico.
  • Chocolate Chip Biscotti

    Use a vanilla base and add chopped chocolate or mini chips.
  • Hazelnut Biscotti

    This is my personal favorite flavor. Toasted hazelnuts, and Frangelico but it also can be made with Kahlua or vanilla.

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Santoku Knives

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Thanksgiving Biscotti Recipe

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas: Pumpkin Spice Biscotti

Cookie Baking Pans

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Biscotti Make Great Housewarming or Holiday Gifts

I like to bake several batches of biscotti before any major holiday. That way if we get invited to an event last minute, I can just wrap up some biscotti as a gift for the host or hostess.

Biscotti also make great gifts for your co-workers or boss.

Since they last so long without freezing they don't need to be made right before you use them.

I hope you enjoy the recipe. If you have any questions about making biscotti, please leave your question in the comments section. I will be sure to answer it.

Baking Biscotti

More Biscotti Recipes on Wizzley

Serve these biscotti with coffee or tea, and vanilla ice cream for an easy dessert that will appeal to young and old alike.
If you or someone you love is on a gluten free diet, these Hazelnut Almond Biscotti are easy to make, and taste delicious for a light dessert or snack.
Updated: 09/27/2014, lakeerieartists
 
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Comments

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sheilamarie on 12/29/2011

These sound fantastic!

RachZ on 11/23/2011

wow - my family wishes I was as clever in the kitchen as you obviously are. And you must save a fortune as well as biscotti are expensive in the shops - well at least over in London they are.
Great page and I love the way you have Amazon at the side - do you have a tutorial anywhere on how to recreate that look?

mivvy on 10/21/2011

sounds easy and tasty. I will certainly try to make them.

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