You can't resist these crunchy almond biscotti, they're so crispy and mega delicious, with toasted almonds and hints of orange and honey. Easy to make and packed with healthy, wholesome ingredients.
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr
Course: cookies
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: Almond biscotti
Servings: 30
Calories: 99kcal
Author: Katia
Ingredients
1 cup(150 grams)Almonds, toasted
2eggs
1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp(90 grams)sugar
1/3 cup(80ml)vegetable oil (olive oil or canola oil)
1orange, zest
1 1/2Tbsphoney
1tspvanilla extract
2 cups(250 grams)all-purpose flour or white spelt
3/4 tspbaking powder
1/2Tbspanise seeds, or more if you like (optional)*
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180℃ and line 1 large baking tray with parchment paper.
TOAST THE ALMONDS: scatter the almonds over the prepared baking tray and toast them in the preheated oven until fragrant and lightly golden (it takes about 7 minutes). Remove from the oven and set aside.
MAKE THE BATTER: In a medium bowl, whisk 1 egg and sugar together until the batter has become lighter in color and the sugar is thoroughly dissolved.
Then add oil, honey, vanilla extract, orange zest, oil and mix well.
Stir in flour, baking powder, and anise seeds. Mix until most of the flour is incorporated (see picture above). Then add the almonds, and using your hands gently bring the dough together inside the bowl. Make sure the almonds are distributed evenly.
MAKE THE LOGS: divide the dough into two flat logs (approx 2 inches wide), arrange them apart on the baking tray and flatten slightly. Try to make them as uniform in size and shape as possible (see the pictures above). If you find the dough a bit sticky, simply wet your hands.
In a small bowl, beat the second egg and brush this egg wash over the logs. The egg wash gives a lovely golden color, but you can skip this step if you wish.
Bake them for about 25-30 minutes (27 mins for my oven), until the surface is firm to gentle pressure. Do not switch the oven off as these will need to be baked again, but reduce the heat to 250℉/120℃.
Let the logs cool on the baking tray for about 15 minutes, then use a sharp knife and gently slice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Better if you slice them on a chopping board, and be gentle when slicing.
Place the slices on the baking tray cut side down and return them to the oven for the second bake. Bake for about 10 minutes each side, a total of 20 minutes.
Notes
Storage: Italian almond biscotti keeps very well for about 2 weeks. However, humidity might ruin them, please store them in an airtight container, metal tins are the best!
Substitutions: traditionally made with almonds, you can replace the almonds with chocolate chips, hazelnuts, pine nuts or dried fruits like figs or sultanas. The possibilities are endless. Anise seeds are a must for the classic Italian almond biscotti, however, feel free to omit them if you wish.
Almonds: I highly recommend to toast the almonds to bring out their amazing flavor. I used whole almonds and I didn’t chop them, but if you bake biscotti for the very first time you might chop your almonds, which will make the cutting easier.
Anise seeds: aniseed is optional, but it adds a lovely and refreshing note. I love it and I'm sure you would love it too. Give them a try!
You can easily replace white sugar with unrefined cane sugar and all-purpose flour with light spelt flour, which tastes delicious and has a nutty flavor. Plus, spelt is a nutritious whole grain, and easier to digest than wheat
NUTRITIONAL VALUES:Please note that the nutrition values are based on an online nutrition calculator. It’s an estimate only and it should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. The nutrition value is for one serving only.