Absolutely Amazing Almond Biscotti Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl.
• Place butter, 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, olive oil in a separate mixing bowl. Mix together thoroughly until mixture has a creamy texture. Add 1 egg; mix into butter/sugar mixture. Whisk in 2nd egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract; whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture. Mix until flour is incorporated. Add whole almonds and chopped almonds; mix in evenly. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a rimmed baking sheet with a silicone mat.
• Divide dough in half. Place each half on a length of plastic wrap and shape into a log. Wrap with the plastic wrap and press into a shape about 3 or 4 inches wide and about 1/2 inch high. Transfer both pieces to prepared baking sheet leaving about 3 or 4 inches of space between them to allow for spreading.
• Bake in center of preheated oven until turning golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before slicing.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Cut each piece at a slight angle into 1/2- to 1 -inch thick slices with a serrated knife. Transfer pieces back to baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 12 minutes; remove from oven and flip pieces over. Return pan to oven and bake until biscotti are golden brown and crunchy, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer biscotti to a cooling rack; let cool to room temperature.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F.
• Spray large baking sheet (12x19-inch) with Pam or oil.
• If using whole, unblanched almonds, boil 2 cups water in microwave and place almonds in water for about 5 minutes. Remove skins and chop coarsely.
• Combine all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.
• Cream sugars and butter until creamy and smooth using an electric mixer.
• Add eggs, almond and vanilla extracts, stir until well mixed.
• Add the dry ingredients, including the almonds and mix well. Dough should be very thick and sticky. If it is too sticky to hold a shape you can use powdered sugar to thicken it - just be sure to mix the powdered sugar into the dough thoroughly.
• Coat a flat surface (counter or cutting board) with powdered sugar and place dough onto it.
• Divide dough into two balls and form roughly into a rectangle about 5x10-inch. Brush off excess powdered sugar and place biscotti dough onto the baking sheet.
• Repeat with the other dough ball and place both logs side by side on the cookie sheet.
• Bake 30 minutes until dry. Allow to cool 10 minutes.
• Slice each log into 18 slices, about 1/2 inch each.
• Place sliced biscotti back onto cookie sheet and bake an additional 10 minutes. Turn slices over and bake 10 more minutes (if desired).
• Cool biscotti on a rack.
• Can dip or stripe in white or dark chocolate.
• Note: Store biscotti in an airtight container to retain freshness. If biscotti loose their crispiness, just pop them into a 300F oven for 5-10 minutes!

ORANGE ALMOND BISCOTTI II

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a baking sheet.
• In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, almonds, and orange zest. Make a well in the center and add the eggs oil, and almond extract. Stir or mix by hand until the mixture forms a ball.
• Separate dough into 2 pieces and roll each one into a log about 8 inches long. Place logs on prepared baking sheet and flatten so they are about 3/4 inch thick. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly, and remove from baking sheets. Slice diagonally into 1/2 inch slices with a serrated knife. Set cookies on side back onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 15 more minutes, turning over after half of the time. Finished cookies should be hard and crunchy.

AMAZING APRICOT AND TOASTED ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Line two, 18x12x1-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (I prefer parchment paper but if you use foil, butter and flour it first.). Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms a fine meal. Add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the toasted almonds and chop coarsely, using 6 to 8 on/off turns.
• Beat the eggs, brandy and almond extract together in large bowl. Add the flour mixture and the diced apricots and stir until a moist dough forms. Divide the dough into four portions.
• Form the dough into four, 14-inch-long by 2-inch-wide logs and place them on the two prepared sheets, spacing evenly. If the dough is too sticky, moisten fingertips before you shape it. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
• While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, position a rack in the center of oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake one sheet at a time until light golden brown, or about 25-30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack and cool completely. Repeat the process with the second sheet.
• Reduce the heat to 300°F. Transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into ½- to ¾- inch wide slices. Arrange half of the biscotti cut side down on cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes.
• Gently turn the biscotti over and bake 7-8 minutes longer. Do not over cook. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat baking the remaining biscotti. Cool completely.

ERIC MCCORMACK'S AMAZING CHOCOLATE ALMOND BISCOTTI

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F; line 2 heavy large baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Combine cake mix, flour, melted butter, eggs, and almond extract in large bowl. Beat for 2 minutes, or until dough forms. Knead almonds into dough.
• Scrape dough onto 1 prepared baking sheet and form dough into 13-inch log that is 3 inches wide.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of biscotti comes out clean. Cool for 35 minutes.
• Using serrated knife, cut log crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Carefully transfer half of the biscotti to second prepared baking sheet.
• Arrange biscotti cut side down on baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Reduce heat to 200°F and bake for 40 minutes, or until biscotti are dry. Cook completely (biscotti will harden as they cool).
• Variation: Melt dark or white chocolate, then dip bottoms of biscotti in chocolate to coat. Transfer biscotti to wax paper and set aside until chocolate becomes firm.