Just Biscotti

biscotti with cacao beans and brazil nuts

Is it possible that I have never posted my biscotti recipe? Could it really be? This recipe is requested by nearly everyone that tries it. I'm a little surprised that I haven't posted it before.  I actually went through every blog post to confirm. A little biscotti info before the much coveted recipe. Biscotti means twice baked in Italian. The batter is baked as a loaf, then sliced into cookies and baked again until crisp and dry; hence the name. Pulling out the moisture gives biscotti its very long shelf life. I don't know how long exactly, but its said to keep for years. We've never had the opportunity to test the shelf life as our biscotti flies off the shelf pretty quickly. The original recipe, followed by variations:

brazil nuts

Maple Pecan Biscotti
-2 cups white spelt flour
-¼ cup ground golden flaxseeds
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-pinch of salt
-2 lightly beaten eggs
-½ cup  maple syrup
-1 teaspoon vanilla
-½ cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350.

loaves out of the oven

Combine flour, flaxseeds, baking powder & salt. Add the eggs, maple syrup and vanilla. When it's just smooth (don't over mix) add the pecans. You will have a very wet batter. On a cookie sheet lined with baking paper, spoon dough into two logs. Wet hands to help form the log shape. Bake for 25-30 minutes until firm and lightly browned. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Lower oven temp. to 325.

Slice loaves into ½ inch thick slices.

Lay flat on cookie sheets and return to oven for 10-15 minutes. 

The biscotti will still be somewhat soft, but will continue to harden as they cool.

Allow to cool before storing in an airtight jar.

sliced and ready to go back in

whole raw cacao beans

don't forget my super duper canon 60d

Variations:

1. Replace ground flax seeds with a little more flour - about 1/3 cup.

2. Replace pecans with another nut of choice

3. Chocolate Hazelnut - Replace 1/2 cup flour with 1/4 cup cocoa.  Replace pecans with hazelnuts.

4. Lemon Poppyseed - add the juice and rind of 1 lemon. Add 3 tablespoons poppy seeds. No nuts here.

5. Cherry Macadamia - add 1/2 cup dried tart cherries and replace pecans with macadamia nuts. This is a dangerous combination. Consider yourself forewarned.

6. Cranberry Pistachio - add 1/2 cup dried cranberries. Replace pecans with pistachios. We get Eden dried cranberries - they are sweetened with apple juice instead of sugar.

7. Chocolate Brazil Nut (pictured here) - add 1/4 cup chopped cacao beans and replace pecans with Brazil nuts.

8. Add 1/4 cup cacao beans to any of the nut variations. Chocolate and biscotti blend really well.
9. Sesame Almond. Add 1/4 cup sesame seeds. Replace the pecans with sliced or slivered almonds. Add 1 teaspoon almond extract.   (another personal favorite)

Buon appetito!


Chana