Ingredients
- 1 cup whole almonds
- 350g all-purpose flour (2 1/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
- 150g brown sugar (3/4 cup)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
- Spread almonds on a baking sheet and roast for 15 min.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugars).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
- When almonds are toasted, spread them out on a cutting board and let them cool off for at least 10 min. Chop them coarsly.
- Add the almonds to the egg mixture and combine.
- Add flour mixture to the egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until just incorporated. Do not over-mix!
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Using a large serving spoon, scoop out the dough and place on the baking sheet. Keep adding to the dough until you have formed 2 logs.
- Bake for 30 min.
- Remove from the oven and let cool down for 10 min.
- Remove from baking sheet and transfer to a cutting board.
- Slice the logs in 3/4” slices at a 45 degree angle and place the slices on the baking sheet.
- Bake for another 15-20 min. Turn them over at the half-way mark
Notes
I stole this recipe a couple years ago from www.shelovesbiscotti.com and have improved it since.
The original recipe calls for adding the almonds after the dry and wet ingredients have been combined. Because the dough is relatively dry, the almonds don’t incorporate well and separate from the batter easily when forming the logs. By adding the almonds to the egg mixture before adding the flour mixture, the almonds get coated with the egg mixture and incorporate in the dough better. Forming the logs becomes easier.
I always use coarse salt. Instead of being evenly distributed, you can taste the individual salt crystals in the biscotti. I like it that way.
When using a convention oven, I found it unnecessary to turn the slices over at their half-way mark.