Biscotti are designed for dunking, but I love biscotti on their own just as much as I like them with my coffee. My recipe uses rye flour for a darker result and a deeper flavour.
Ingredients
- Whole, Skin-On Almonds 150 g
- Caster (superfine) Sugar 175 g
- Eggs 2
- Zest of 2 Oranges
- Rye Flour 250 g
- Fine Sea Salt ½ tsp
- Baking Powder ½ tsp
- Dried Apricots 200 g, roughly chopped
- Dark or White Chocolate (optional) 150 g
Cook it
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 9 x 13 inch tin with baking parchment on the base only. Spread the almonds out in the tin and roast in the oven for 10–15 minutes until they have darkened slightly and are lightly fragrant. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large mixing bowl with an electric whisk, whisk the caster sugar and eggs for 4–5 minutes, until the mixture is very pale and has doubled in volume. Stir through the orange zest.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt and baking powder, then sift this over the egg mixture and gently fold through. Add the almonds and apricots to the bowl, mix to combine, then turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to bring it into a dough.
- Split the dough into two halves, then roll each half into an even cylinder measuring approximately 2 x 12 inches. Transfer the logs to the baking tin and bake for 25–30 minutes, until the dough has risen and cracks have formed on the surface.
- Remove the biscotti from the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 320°F. Set the biscotti aside to cool for 30 minutes, then use a sharp, heavy knife to carefully slice thin biscuits from the baked dough. Lay these out in the tin (you may need to do this in several batches), and return to the oven to bake for a further 10–15 minutes. The biscotti are baked when they are cooked through and firm at the centre.
- Melt the chocolate in a bowl, if using, then dip the biscotti in one at a time and leave to set.
NOTES
SHELF LIFE: These keep well for up to two weeks wrapped tightly or stored in an airtight container.
SUBSTITUTIONS: Use any nuts or dried fruit you like. You can also replace the rye with all-purpose flour, if you prefer.
HOW TO POST: Pack the biscotti neatly in a cellophane or greaseproof paper bag, then wrap in tissue paper.
Recipe adapted slightly from Sweet Deliveries: Over 60 Cakes, Cookies and Other Treats to Send by Mail by Lucy Burton © 2022 with permission of Welbeck Publishing Group. Photography © 2022 by Nassima Rothacker.
