Anise Biscotti
If you’ve been looking for an Italian Anise Biscotti with bold flavor and the perfect crunch, this is the recipe for you. These homemade biscotti are everything that good Italian biscotti should be – dunkable, flavorsome, and simple to make!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ideal Texture – My base biscotti recipe (the mother of this recipe) has been multi-tested by me to recreate the delicious biscotti I sampled (in great quantities!) in Italy. These Anise Biscotti, just like my cantucci, won’t fall apart when dunked in tea, coffee, or milk. Unlike many store-bought biscotti, these are neither dry nor flavorless.
- Flavor – If you love my Italian Anise Cookies, you’ll love these biscotti! The fragrance of anise is a standout, making these classic Italian cookies a favorite at Sunday gatherings or part of the dessert spread.
- Holiday Baking – Whether it’s Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, these Anise Biscotti are a wonderful addition to the holiday cookie platter. Try adding Amaretti Cookies, Lemony Ricotta Cookies and Italian Chocolate Cookies to have something for everyone!
Ingredients
For complete ingredient quantities and full instructions, please scroll to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Anise Seeds: Whole anise seeds are usually available in the spice section of the grocery store. If not, there are quite a few online stores that will ship directly to you.
- Dark Rum: Small bottles are available from most liquor stores. Rum will keep well and you can use any leftovers in my delicious Italian Rum Cake or Rum Fruit Cake.
- Baking Essentials: Easily available in all grocery stores, you’ll need basic ingredients like all-purpose flour, white sugar, baking powder, eggs, and unsalted butter.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Infuse anise seeds in dark rum for 10 minutes.
Add wet ingredients into the center of the combined dry ingredients,
Switch to a wooden spoon or clean hands as the dough forms.
Knead lightly until smooth, then divide into 3 portions and shape into logs. Bake in the preheated oven.
Cool the logs for 10 minutes then slice while still warm.
Arrange on a lined baking sheet and bake until lightly golden.
Marcellina’s Hint: The cookies will be slightly soft when they first come out of the oven but will firm up as they cool. Storing them in an airtight container for a day or two makes them even crunchier.
Substitutions
- Anise seeds – Instead of anise seeds, you can use ground anise seeds or anise extract or oil. If using anise extract, use half the quantity because it’s more potent, and anise oil is even stronger, so only use ½ teaspoon.
- Dark rum – Use Anisette or Sambuca instead of dark rum. To make it alcohol free, use milk instead.
Variations
- Chocolate Anise Biscotti – add ½ cup of chocolate chips when incorporating the wet and dry ingredients.
- Orange Anise Biscotti – add the zest of one orange for a zesty flavor.
- Almond Anise Biscotti – add 1 cup of whole almonds to the dough.
See my Orange Cranberry Biscotti Recipe, which is another delicious variation of this recipe.
Equipment
To make these Italian Anise Biscotti, you’ll use the usual baking tools—baking sheets, bowls, spoons, spatulas, and measuring cups and spoons. But the one essential item is a sharp, serrated knife for slicing the biscotti cleanly.
Storage
Allow the biscotti to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. Anise Biscotti will stay fresh at room temperature for up to a week, but exposure to humidity can make them lose their crunch. To crisp them up again, just bake them at 300°F/150°C for 5–8 minutes.
For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container with parchment between layers. If they soften after thawing, a few minutes in the oven will bring back the crunch.
Top tips
- Always begin by preheating the oven.
- This dough will be a bit sticky but still manageable. Lightly flour your hands to shape the logs, and if it’s a warm day, you can chill the dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
- Like all my biscotti, these are twice-baked. The first bake activates the baking powder and cooks the dough through. Use a thin, serrated knife to slice the logs while they’re still warm—take your time for clean cuts.
- Lower the oven temperature for the second bake to dry out the biscotti without over-browning. If the first bake wasn’t quite long enough and you find the biscotti a little undercooked inside, the second bake might take longer than I have specified in the recipe.
- Remember that Anise Biscotti will crisp up more as they cool, so don’t worry if they’re slightly soft when they come out of the oven.
FAQ
The secret of a good biscotti is a great recipe, and my tried and tested recipe is just that. Good biscotti should be cut not too thickly and baked until crisp but not hard.
The word biscotti means “twice baked,” and originally came from Prato in Tuscany. With their low moisture and fat content, these biscotti had a long shelf life, making them a favorite among sailors and travelers on extended journeys.
If you can’t find anise seeds or any of the suggestions above, try using fennel seeds instead. The flavor profile is similar, though not quite the same. Fennel biscotti are a very tasty variation on this Anise Biscotti recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Anise Biscotti are ideal for a cozy afternoon coffee break, but they also make delightful edible gifts during the holidays. The anise flavor also pairs perfectly with Nutella Panna Cotta or my Italian Hot Chocolate.
Related
Pumpkin Biscotti
Lemon Biscotti
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Anise Biscotti Recipe
Equipment
- 1 thin serrated knife
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (300 grams) all purpose plain flour
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 grams) unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 3 teaspoons dark rum
- 2 teaspoons anise seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with non-stick parchment paper.
- Place the unsalted butter into a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave in short bursts of 10 seconds until the butter is melted. Set aside to cool.⅓ cup (75 grams) unsalted butter
- In a small bowl, combine the dark rum with the anise seeds. Allow to infuse for 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.3 teaspoons dark rum2 teaspoons anise seeds
- Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.2½ cups (300 grams) all purpose plain flour1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar1 teaspoon baking powder½ teaspoon fine salt
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.
- Break the eggs into the well and add infused rum/anise seeds, vanilla and melted, cooled butter2 eggs1 teaspoon vanilla extract⅓ cup (75 grams) unsalted butter
- Whisk together the wet ingredients slowly incorporating part of the dry ingredients.
- Before the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, switch to a wooden spoon or clean hands to finish incorporating the dry ingredients.
- Turn out onto the kitchen counter or a large board and knead lightly ensuring all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be firm but soft.
- Divide the dough into three equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a 10inches/ 25cm log. Use a little flour on the surface if the dough is sticking.
- Place logs onto the lined baking sheet.
- Bake 20-25 minutes until browned.
- Removed from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 300°F/150°C.
- While still warm, cut each log into 15 slices. Check my tips below on how to cut biscotti easily.
- Arrange cut side up, onto the lined baking sheets and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
Notes
- Avoid over-kneading; gently form and press the dough together.
- Leave space between the logs to prevent them from sticking.
- Cut while warm.
- The second baking is the key. Too little time and your biscotti will be soft; too much, and they’ll be too hard. I’ve found that 10-12 minutes gives the best results. When you take them out of the oven, the cookies will still be a bit soft but will harden as they cool.
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- Cut the logs while they are still warm.
- Use a thin, serrated knife.
- Make a small cut (about 1/3 to 1/2 way through) using a sawing motion.
- Finally, press the knife down firmly and sharply in one motion.
- If you’re having trouble, the first bake might not have been long enough.
Nutritional Estimate Per Serving
Nutritional Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. For accurate results, it is recommended that the nutritional information be calculated based on the ingredients and brands you use.
This Biscotti recipe is so easy and quick to make! I added almonds to my batch and everyone loved them. I will make these all the time now!!
That’s great to hear, Diane! The addition of almonds is a good idea!