Almond Biscotti is a classic twice-baked Italian cookie that is crispy and crunchy, full of nutty flavors. Perfect for holidays, gifting, or to enjoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Check out our popular peanut butter cookies, cashew meringue cookies, and Indian shortbread biscuits.
Twice-baked Italian Cookies
Biscotti (Italian Cookies) are amazingly delicious and perfect for dipping in coffee, espresso, tea, and Vin Santo wine. In Italy, they are known as cantucci, biscotti di Prato, or biscotti etrusch.
Today's recipe is for almond biscotti, crispy on the outside with a full almond flavor and super addictive. This is not only the best recipe to stock your cookie jar but also great for holidays and gifting.
The Italian almond cookies recipe is highly customizable. You can also add cranberries, chocolates, or even pistachios.
Ingredients
Butter: Room-temperature softened butter is used for a rich flavor. You can use oil instead of butter for a lighter texture.
Sugar: The sweetener used. Regular white sugar.
Eggs: Add moisture and bring the dough together.
Flour: To give the overall texture.
Baking powder: Helps the biscotti rise.
Vanilla and almond extract for flavor.
Check out the recipe card for the full list of ingredients.
How to make almond biscotti?
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it aside.
- In another baking sheet, add the almonds, spread them into a single layer, and bake them for about 10 minutes until they are lightly roasted. Let it cool for a few minutes and then roughly chop it.
- You can also bring store-bought roasted almonds if you want to avoid this step.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a handheld whisk or a bowl with a paddle attachment.
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and mix until it is nice and creamy.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well until everything is incorporated.
- Finally, add the chopped almonds and mix well.
- Dust the working surface with more flour and transfer the dough. Divide it into three equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a log of approximately 10 inches long and 2 inches wide.
- Place these logs on a lined baking sheet at least 3 to 4 inches apart. Gently flatten each log.
- Bake these logs for about 30 minutes until it is golden and firm at the centre.
- Make sure to rotate the baking pan halfway through baking.
- Let these logs cool for about 10 minutes.
- Using a knife, slice each log diagonally into ¾-inch-thick slices and arrange them on baking sheets with the cut side down.
- Place this in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Turn all the biscotti and bake for another 8 minutes until golden and brown.
- Let the biscotti cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring. The cookies will harden as they cool down.
- Enjoy biscotti with tea, cappuccino, or coffee. Dunk the cookies in a hot drink of your choice.
Expert tips
- Store at room temperature in an air-tight conatiner for 2 weeks. You can also freeze this for about 3 months.
- You can skip the almond extract and add anise extract to make the traditional plain biscotti.
- During the holiday season, you can also combine cranberries and pistachios along with almonds to make it more festive.
- Dip ends in white chocolate or milk chocolate for a gourmet touch.
- To avoid crumbling, slice with a serrated knife.
- If you like it crunchier, bake a little extra.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, biscotti are baked twice for their signature crunch and texture and long shelf life.
Biscotti are generally hard. But if it becomes too hard, then it's because of over-baking. Reduce the baking time for the second time if you want a softer cookie.
Vin Santo, a sweet Italian dessert wine, is a beautiful match for almond biscotti cookies. You can also eat it like a regular cookie, but since it is hard and crunchy, it is best when dipped in hot tea or coffee before eating.
More Italian recipes
Recipe card
Almond Biscotti Recipe - Twice-Baked Italian Cookies
Ingredients
- ½ cup Butter softened at room temperature
- 1 ⅓ cup Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon Almond extract
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 ¼ cups Almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it aside.
- In another baking sheet, add the almonds, spread them into a single layer, and bake them for about 10 minutes until they are lightly roasted. Let it cool for a few minutes and then roughly chop it.1 ¼ cups Almonds
- You can also bring store-bought roasted almonds if you want to avoid this step.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar using a handheld whisk or a bowl with a paddle attachment.½ cup Butter, 1 ⅓ cup Sugar
- Add eggs, vanilla extract, and almond extract, and mix until it is nice and creamy.3 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon Almond extract
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix well until everything is incorporated.3 cups Flour, 1 teaspoon Baking powder, ½ teaspoon Salt
- Finally, add the chopped almonds and mix well.
- Dust the working surface with more flour and transfer the dough. Divide it into three equal portions.
- Roll each portion into a log of approximately 10 inches long and 2 inches wide.
- Place these logs on a lined baking sheet at least 3 to 4 inches apart. Gently flatten each log.
- Bake these logs for about 30 minutes until it is golden and firm at the centre. Make sure to rotate the baking pan halfway through baking.
- Let these logs cool for about 10 minutes.
- Using a knife, slice each log diagonally into ¾-inch-thick slices and arrange them on baking sheets with the cut side down.
- Place this in the oven and bake for 7 minutes. Turn all the biscotti and bake for another 8 minutes until golden and brown.
- Let the biscotti cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring. The cookies will harden as they cool down.
- Enjoy biscotti with tea, cappuccino, or coffee. Dunk the cookies in a hot drink of your choice.
Notes
- Store at room temperature in an air-tight conatiner for 2 weeks. You can also freeze this for about 3 months.
- You can skip the almond extract and add anise extract to make the traditional plain biscotti.
- During the holiday season, you can also combine cranberries and pistachios along with almonds to make it more festive.
- Dip ends in white chocolate or milk chocolate for a gourmet touch.
- To avoid crumbling, slice with a serrated knife.
- If you like it crunchier, bake a little extra.
Nutrition
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