Orange almond biscotti: The only thing better, I’m pretty sure, would be chocolate orange almond biscotti. Don’t you think?

Biscotti is one of my favourite things because it reminds me of some sweet times. It reminds me of coffee dates with my mom, and some of my family’s last visits with my Oma before she passed away. We made these for her and brought them to have with coffee, and she loved them; which to me was quite a compliment, since Oma always made everything best.

About this recipe

This recipe makes a lovely, crisp, not-too-sweet biscotti with a hint of orange and crunchy almonds.  It’s totally delicious, easy to make, and great served with coffee, tea, or a glass of cold milk.

What is biscotti?

Biscotti are a twice baked, hard Italian cookie to be served dipped in hot tea or coffee.

Is biscotti a cookie or bread?

Since biscotti is first baked in a loaf shape, this question makes perfect sense! Biscotti is not a bread, however; it is a hard cookie that is made to look like a thin, sliced piece bread.

Is it worth it to make biscotti from scratch?

Like all other things, absolutely, yes! I often find that when you pick up pre-packed biscotti they are quite crumbly. Fresh biscotti, however, is so much better. It holds its shape, has a terrific crunch to it, and holds up a little better when it is dipped in coffee, which to me is the main thing. Biscotti should not dissolve into your coffee; in my opinion, it should still hold its shape while you eat it, just softened by dipping enough to make it easy to eat.

Can you make this recipe with other variations?

Of course you can! Try this recipe with added cacao nibs, or substitute the nuts or zest for another type. You can also add dried fruit, or even dip the finished cookies in chocolate. Delicious!

How to make orange almond biscotti – what is the secret?

Well, as with most things, it’s important to follow the recipe! I would say that my two best secrets to great biscotti are as follows:

1. It is made without fat (making a much more sticky dough, which holds together better in the end) and,
2. It is baked the second time long enough to completely dry it out.

Note: I doubled the recipe for this post to create 2 logs instead of 1.

Print

Orange Almond Biscotti

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Italian

Keyword biscotti, orange almond biscotti

Prep Time 1 hour

Resting time 30 minutes

Servings 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 c. chopped almonds
• 1 large orange zested

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a cookie sheet.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Beat in the eggs and mix in the orange zest and almonds.  Knead by hand, or in a standing mixer, until the mixture is thoroughly combined (the dough will be quite sticky).

3. Pat onto greased or parchment lined cookie sheets with flour dusted hands, or a bit of grease on your hands (just to keep it from sticking to your fingers too much). Pat into a log about 10"x4".

4. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Cool on wire racks.

5. Once the loaves are cool, cut into 1" slices and place, cut side down, onto an ungreased or parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven, flip the pieces over, and bake again, 10-15 minutes more, or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.

Recipe Notes

Variation:

Juice the orange and make a glaze to drizzle the finished cookies. A simple glaze can be made by mixing 1 cup of icing sugar with 1-1/2 Tbsp of fresh orange juice until smooth. 

Used in this recipe:

• Ingredients (see recipe card)
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheets
• Cooking spray or Parchment paper
• Sharp bread knife
• Cutting board

How to serve biscotti

Serve your delicious orange almond biscotti with your favourite hot beverage or a cup of cold milk. I like pack these for picnics, serve them for afternoon tea or coffee, and wrap them up pretty to gift them to friends!

I hope you enjoyed this recipe; as always, let me know if you make them! I’d love to hear how yours came out.

Back soon!

–Naomi

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