Biscotti

Biscotti
Andrew Purcell for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
5(1,776)
Comments
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These classic Italian cookies get their signature crispness from being twice-baked: First, the dough is cooked in logs, cut into slices, then baked again. Because they travel and keep well, a pile of them makes an excellent gift wrapped in a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon. Feel free to experiment with add-ins: Sub in hazelnuts or pistachios for the almonds. Add mini chocolate chips or dried cranberries, or a teaspoon of citrus zest. Or take the cookies over the top by drizzling with melted chocolate, glazing with icing or dusting with sprinkles. You do you.

Featured in: FOOD; Sugar and Spice and Everything Iced

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Ingredients

Yield:About 24 cookies
  • 1vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
  • ¾cup granulated sugar
  • ½cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2eggs
  • 2teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2cups all-purpose flour
  • teaspoons baking powder
  • ½teaspoon fine sea salt
  • cups slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (24 servings)

135 calories; 7 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 73 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Position rack in center of oven. With a small knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and place in a small bowl. Add the sugar and use your fingers to mix the vanilla evenly into the sugar. Set aside. With an electric mixer, cream the butter until light. Add the vanilla sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla extract and mix until smooth. Stir together the flour, baking powder, salt and almonds and stir into the butter mixture.

  2. Step 2

    Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, shape each piece of dough into a log that is about 1¼ inches in diameter. Place the logs on the baking sheet, spacing them as far apart as possible. Bake in the center of the oven until lightly browned, about 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Place the logs on a cutting board and let them cool slightly. With a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into ½-inch-thick pieces. Place on the baking sheet, cut side down. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes, turning once. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool. Store in an airtight container.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,776 user ratings
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Comments

Metric 150g Sugar 113g Unsalted Butter 2 Eggs 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract (if no beans) 275g AP Flour 1.5 teaspoons Baking Powder 0.5 teaspoon Salt 145g Slivered Almonds

Sharing some wisdom I’ve found in making these many times in past year. Toasted almonds are better than untoasted. (Do in microwave or buy at Trader Joe’s) but chop raw almonds before toasting...easier. Dough is sticky....oil your hands to shape logs. shape a rough log and then stretch it out...no need to “roll” it. A non-serrated knife is best for slicing. Serrated knife seems to create more crumbs and breakage. The partial baked logs very fragile. Montmorency cherries are great addition!

Delicious! I did not have a vanilla bean, so I used a full tablespoon of vanilla extract in the dough. They were great!

I add orange zest to the sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of almond extract and 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract, and do 1 cup toasted almond slivers and 1/4-1/3 cup of chopped dried cranberries. Delicious!

Nice basic biscotti- Agreed. Toasted almonds, almond extract plus with the vanilla bean- and they slice beautifully. Tomorrow chocolate dipping one end in Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate will make them perfect!

Doubled the recipe incorporating a few changes from the comments: - half butter, half olive oil creamed together for many minutes until fluffy. - skipped vanilla bean sugar. Used extra vanilla extract and a tsp of almond extract. - reduced sugar by 1/2c. End result was slight sweetness which I prefer. - added chopped anise seed to flour mixture to get a more even distribution. Used 2tbs but will add more next time. - used Trader Joe roasted almonds chopped and doubled. Delicious. Results are great. Next time will add more anise and reduce amount of flour.

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