Learn how to make biscotti with my tried and tested recipe.
Making homemade biscotti is not very hard to do, even for a beginner baker.
My Italian family referred to any cookie or Australian biscuit as a biscotto. Biscotti are a relative new-comer to my baking world. Italians don’t generally bake at home so many of our family cookie and biscuit recipes are those learnt here in Australia.
So what are biscotti?
Biscotti generally refer to the twice baked, oblong Italian cookie (biscuit) that is dry and crunchy. The dough is shaped into logs, baked, cooled and sliced and baked again until dry and crispy.
The original biscotto is from Prato in Tuscany and didn’t contain any fat. Being free from moisture, the original biscotto keeps very well and became a favourite of sailors and other travellers embarking on long journeys. These cookies are also known as cantucci, cantuccini or biscotti di Prato and are full of almonds and often flavoured with anise, amaretto or lemon.
Recipe research.
On my recent travel to Italy, I sample lots of biscotti in Tuscany and purchased a Tuscan cookbook with the original recipe. But when I tried making biscotti without butter or oil, according to the recipe, the result was such a hard cookie that it would cause dental problems! I have made many biscotti before but all include butter or oil. However everything I read says the traditional recipe contains no fat.
Luckily I still had a contact in Italy who purchased lots of different almond biscotti and checked the ingredients. Most contained a portion of butter except for one which pale and soft as though it hadn’t been baked the second time.
This Almond Biscotti recipe.
The traditional recipe may not contain butter or oil but not everyone will dunk their biscotto into vin santo (Italian sweet dessert wine) or a coffee to soften it. For this recipe, I have tested and retested multiple times with different flours, quantity of butter or oil. My Almond biscotti recipe may not be traditional but it is incredibly good and quite addictive.
What are the ingredients used in these biscotti?
This recipe is loosely based on the traditional recipe from the little cookbook I purchased in Siena.
- Flour: all purpose or plain flour
- Sugar: simple granulated white sugar
- Whole eggs: I like free range
- Almonds: unblanched (skin on) and toasted
- Butter: It does contain a little bit of butter which means these biscotti will not break teeth. The butter also carries and intensifies the flavour of the almonds and lemon.
- Baking powder: just a little for a slightly lighter crumb
- Flavourings: honey, lemon rind and vanilla
How to make biscotti.
- Toast the almonds and set aside to cool.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients and combine.
- Bring the ingredients together by hand.
- Gently form it into a smooth ball.
- Divide into four pieces and roll into a log.
- Place onto baking paper lined oven tray.
- Bake for 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly until you can handle the loaves.
- Reduce heat to 150°C/300°F
- Cut at a while still warm.
- Bake again for 10-15 minutes.
Key Tips for successfully making this recipe.
- Always toast nuts. This applies to any recipe where you use nuts. Toasted have much more flavour.
- Don’t overknead. Gently form into a dough.
- This dough is meant to be sticky. Don’t add more flour.
- Allow room for spreading otherwise the logs will stick together.
- Cut while warm.
The main key is in the second baking. Too little and your biscotto will be soft. Too much and your biscotto will be too hard. I have found good results at 10-12 minutes. When removed from the oven the cookies will be a little soft but will harden on cooling. In fact, storing for a day or two in an airtight container will improve the crunch even more.
Can biscotti be frozen?
Because this recipe contains butter, these biscotti will not keep as long as the traditional ones. But in an airtight container, you will still be eating a biscotto for at least the next week with your morning coffee. However, this is a recipe that works perfectly well to be made ahead and baked cookies can be frozen in airtight containers.
When defrosting, you must leave the lid on your containers until completely defrosted. Otherwise condensation may cause the biscotti to become soft. All is not lost if this occurs. Simply refresh by arranging on baking trays and bake in an oven preheated to 150°C/300°F for 5-8 minutes.
What goes with biscotti?
According to the “Italian food rules”, these cookies are served with a small glass of vin santo. Vin santo is translated to “holy wine”. Dip Cantucci into the wine to soften and sweeten the cookies. Serve these delicous crunchy cookies with espresso or capuccinio or even tea which is becoming more popular in Italy for it’s ‘health’ benefits.
These cookies are also perfect alongside a creamy dessert like these:
- Nutella Panna cotta
- Cinnamon Panna cotta
- Creme Brulee
- Caramelised Yoghurt cream
- Avocado Chocolate Mousse
Making biscotti at home is incredibly easy and rewarding. It doesn’t matter if you don’t make them perfectly the first time or even the next time because these cantucci will still taste delicous! Bake these today to bring a little of Italy into your home.
Baci,
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Cantuccini (little Italian Almond Biscotti)
Ingredients
- 250 grams almonds
- 300 grams plain flour (all purpose)
- 200 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest from 1 large lemon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 2 eggs
- 3 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 85 grams unsalted butter melted and cooled
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F,
- Spread almonds onto baking tray and toast in the oven for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool.
- Leave the oven on. Line a large baking tray or two smaller baking trays with non-stick baking paper.
- Place flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
- Break the eggs into the well and add honey, vanilla and melted, cooled 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.
- As the mixture starts to come together add the almonds.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.
- The mixture will be sticky and can be refrigerated for 30 minutes to make the dough easier to handle. Otherwise you can go right onto the next step.
- Divide the dough into four equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a 30cm/12in log.
- Place logs onto lined baking tray and, this is optional, with a wet hand smooth the surface of the dough.
- Bake 25 minutes until browned.
- Removed from the oven and cool on baking trays for 10 minutes.
- Reduce oven to 150°C/300°F
- While still warm, cut each log into 20 slices. Check my tips below on how to cut biscotti easily.
- Arrange cut side up, onto lined baking trays and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes.
- Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
Notes
How to cut biscotti easily
- Cut while still warm.
- Use a sharp serrated knife.
- Make a little cut using a sawing motion
- Then press the knife down firmly and sharply in one motion.
Nutrition
If I make it with anise or amaretto do I leave out the vanilla? And how much anise or amaretto to add?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try them!
I have never tried that but I don’t think it would be a problem – it sounds like a delicious idea! Yes, you could leave out the vanilla or leave it in. In any case, you may need to add a a little extra flour to compensate for the added liquid…but only a little extra.
Hi Marcellina,
If I’m making half the recipe, should I still divide the mixture into 4 or should I only do 2??
Kim, I would only do two otherwise they might over bake.
Thanks for the quick reply, making 2 is what I thought.
I what could I use instead of honey these are for a gift, however 1 person has a honey allergy…
It’s such a small amount …you could substitute maple syrup, I think, quite successfully. Would that work for you?
We are a family of biscotti lovers with our coffee
I have made this biscotti 3 times already and it gets better every time
It is so simple and delicious . People ask me – did you really make it at home ?
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe
I’ll be cooking these again Yummo!
We crushed 3/4 of the almonds roughly after toasting, it worked really well
Great idea Catherine!
Ciao
I dont have scales, are you able to provide cup measurements?
Hi Vanessa! Yes! If you look under the “ingredients” in the recipe card you will see “metric-US customary”. Just click on US Customary for the measurements in cups. Hope that helps.
Fantastic! And thank you for replying. I have a batch of Anzac Biscuits baking right now but I also bought all the ingredients for your biscotti so I’ll try them out today. Grazie. 😊
Ciao Marcellina
I made these this afternoon and they are beautiful . I used lemon zest. My dough spread quite a lot when baking and I was really worried they would be too flat but they came out well. Thanks for a great recipe. I wish I could send you a photo.
Hi Vanessa! I’d love to see a photo of your biscotti! Can you email the photo to me at marcellinaincucina(at)outlook(dot)com
Hi Vanessa, I hope you enjoyed the Anzac Biscuits as much as we did!
I tried this recipe! It tasted good! The sweetness was right for my friends, but I prefer less sweet. I would reduce the amount of sugar next time I bake.
Hi Kanan! So glad you liked the biscotti! Yes, Italian sweets are just that – sweet but the good thing is you can adjust the sugar to your taste.
These biscuits are delicious. I changed lemon rind to orange rind. Have been very popular over Holiday period- always asked for recipe. Glad to have found your website 😋
Hello Marcellina! I just found your blog and I’m absolutely impressed by the quality of the recipes you have here, including this biscotti recipe! Well done, I will try it out! I’m an Italian dad who has been living outside of Italy for almost 15 years now and I’ve recently decided to share all I know around Italian cuisine – especially from the South of Italy – on my website italianfoodboss.com and my YouTube channel youtube.com/italianfoodboss .
I’d be grateful if you’d wish to have a look!
Ciao ciao and congratulations again on what you have managed to build in a few short years!
Ciao Marcelina your biscotti are looking beautiful I make them too but, I will try your recipe.
Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Teresa! This recipe has been tested so many times that my family doesn’t want to eat any more biscotti for a while! But I’m very happy with the results. I hope you like them too xx
I’ve never tried to make biscotti at home but I so should try! Your recipe looks like the perfect one to start with 🙂
Sylvie, I have a couple of biscotti recipes that I really love. This one is for the very typical cantucci type but I also have some more buttery biscotti that are not as traditional. You should try them, they are so good!
These sound so delicious! I have never been successful with baking biscotti but with all your tips I feel I should definitely give them another go!
Let me know how you go, Robyn.
Vin santo for my cantuccini please 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Perfection – biscotti with vin santo!
Love homemade biscotti with my morning coffee!
I am so excited to enjoy this recipe very soon – thank you for all the tips!
You’re welcome, Alexandra! xx