Ingredients
Preparation
20 minutes 2½ hours (includes cooling) Here the wet ingredients are mixed together before adding the dry ingredients into the same bowl—that means there’s minimal cleanup. You won’t even need an electric mixer—a large bowl and wooden spoon will suffice. Instead of using a prepared baking sheet, Orlanti bakes biscotti on ungreased ones. For peace of mind, feel free to line yours with parchment paper if you’re worried about the dough sticking. This Italian biscotti recipe is one of our favorite Christmas cookie recipes. It produces crunchy cookies that taste even better a day or two after they’re baked—if they last that long. Once you learn the technique, you can tweak the add-ins to suit your tastes. Mix in orange zest, lemon zest, or dried fruit—try cherries or cranberries, drizzled with white chocolate. Switch the almonds out for hazelnuts or pistachios, or dunk the cooled biscotti cookies halfway into melted chocolate. (For chocolate biscotti made with cocoa, look elsewhere.) Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in the January 2009 issue of ‘Gourmet’ as Nonna’s Biscotti and first appeared online December 21, 2008.
Step 2
Chill dough, covered, 30 minutes.
Step 3
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.
Step 4
Using moistened hands, divide dough in half and form 2 (16-by 2-inch) loaves on an ungreased large baking sheet.
Step 5
Bake until pale golden, about 30 minutes. Carefully transfer loaves to a rack and cool 15 minutes.
Step 6
Cut loaves into ¾-inch slices with a serrated knife.
Step 7
Arrange biscotti, with a cut side down, on a clean baking sheet and bake until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
