Sunday, May 9, 2010

Whole Wheat Lemon Almond Biscotti

I can’t believe there are zero posts about biscotti on my site. Well, now there is finally one, but more than two years went by without any biscotti posts. I should explain that biscotti are kind of like scones to me. I’ve admitted that I try almost every scone recipe I ever see, four of which I’ve posted on this site, and I have the same issue with biscotti recipes although I’ve neglected to mention them. The difference is that I seem to encounter more failures with biscotti. I’ve tried recipes that resulted in cookies that were too large and unwieldy, or the add-ins were too difficult to slice through and the cookies were ugly, or the cookies didn’t bake evenly and were too dark on one side. I’ve learned that the initially baked dough logs shouldn’t be too large. Two to three inches wide seems to work best. Then, once the individual cookies are cut, they should be flipped at the half-way point in their baking time. That way, the cookies don’t brown too much on one side and not enough on the other. I’ve also read that some people have success with baking the cookies on their edges rather than flat on a cut side, but I haven’t tried that. Regarding the slicing issue, I now let the dough cool a little longer after the first baking and before slicing, and I always use a serrated knife. With these lessons in mind, I tried a biscotti recipe I’d seen in the December 2009 issue of Living, and these turned out great.

Whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder were sifted together and set aside. Butter was mixed with sugar, honey, lemon zest, and salt, and three eggs were added one at a time. Nice, big measures, one whole tablespoon each, of vanilla and almond extract were added, and that’s why these biscotti smelled so amazing as they baked. Then, the flour mixture was added followed by almonds. I used a mix of whole almonds and sliced almonds because I was in pantry-clearing mode. The dough was wrapped in plastic and chilled for an hour. It was then divided in half, formed into two logs, of appropriate size of course, the logs were placed on a silpat-lined baking sheet, and they were chilled for 30 minutes. The first baking was at 325 degrees F for 35 minutes. Then, the dough logs were allowed to cool enough to handle before they were cut on the bias into cookies. I placed the cut cookies on two baking sheets, and they were baked this time at 300 degrees F for 35 minutes. After about 18 minutes, I flipped each cookie for even browning.

The extracts, lemon zest, almonds, and honey worked together to make these biscotti incredibly fragrant and delicious. They were packed into an airtight container, and each time I opened it, I was struck by how great these cookies smelled. Of course, they were enjoyed dipped in coffee or cappuccino, and I liked them with tea as well. They were crunchy as can be and a definite success in my hit-or-miss history of biscotti making.



34 comments:

  1. I love biscotti and have quite a few recipes, but this one sounds unique with the whole wheat flour, lemon, and honey. Oh, and the full tablespoon of almond extract. That's something I tend to use in small amounts, but I do like it and am interested in seeing how a full tablespoon would work. Thanks Lisa!

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  2. These sound (and look) wonderful! I am a sucker for biscotti with almonds. Thanks for sharing!

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  3. Love the whole wheat flour in this biscotti! Looks delicious.

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  4. At least now you have one biscotti that you've posted. :) I need some cocoa or coffee with my mine. Yum!!!

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  5. `Your biscotti are perfect! They look delicious!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  6. scones and biscotti are my nemeses. i don't like to make 'em or eat 'em, but i can still appreciate your creation. hooray for pantry-clearing mode. :)

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  7. I love biscotti too (as scones!) but I have not even attempted to make them yet. Don't know why really; although my successful cookie baking adventures are too few to mention so maybe I am just being careful for not another failure...lol... Love the looks of your though!

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  8. Biscotti is my next to-bake list. Thanks for sharing the tips. They will come in handy when I need to bake them in future. Yours looks absolutely perfect!

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  9. Until you pointed it out, I never would have believed you had not biscotti recipes, and with whole wheat, this just sounds awesome! What a great idea, keep the biscotti recipes coming.

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  10. Sounds perfectly delicious with lemon and almonds!

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  11. Love biscotti, Lisa. And I bet the whole wheat flour addition gave them another layer of flavor.
    Haven't made any for a while and have been tempted. I saw a recipe the other day for a savory biscotti that I thought looked fascinating. Have you ever made a savory one?

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  12. Barbara: I've never made savory biscotti, but that sounds very interesting!

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  13. These are great biscotti Lisa; love the idea of using whole wheat flour!

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  14. I've never made biscotti, but it looks fabulous!

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  15. Lisa, your biscotti looks perfect, and I like the flavor that you put together...have to try it ;-)

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  16. Lisa, you biscotti are perfect and love the flavour of lemon. Using whole wheat flour, honey and almonds makes them very healthy and I am really tempted to make them but I know I will not be able to resist and eat only 1 or 2:)

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  17. The biscotti are so nicely baked and sliced that I thought you must have been regularly making them : ).

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  18. I love dipping biscotti in my hot chocolate. Yours look so delectable ^^

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  19. I love biscotti! The crunch is hard to beat! I think the whole wheat in here is actually really fitting...gives it a nice, wholesome, nutty texture and flavor!

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  20. I have zero recipes on biscotti, scones, etc etc. Definitely, biscotti will be a first to-make cos I enjoy them more to scones. To me, biscotti is with black coffee :)

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  21. I've always been scared to make my own biscotti because I've heard it can be hard. But the success with yours is making me want to try! :)

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  22. Love the chewy nutty wholewheat biscotti!

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  23. Love the wole wheat angle in these! They look great :)

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  24. Wonderful combination of lemon and almond , biscotti is on my to-bake list too : ) I have a jar labelled biscotti but I am using for cookies and have not baked any biscotti yet.

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  25. So perfect with a nice cup of tea. They look lovely.

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  26. Lovely combo. I've always wanted to bake biscotti, yours look perfect!

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  27. I haven't tried a biscotti yet, but I'm not sure if I can succeed it. Yours look great and I love the flavors in it especially lemon zest.

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  28. I love that these use whole-wheat flour! The flavors are lovely! I love baking biscotti - all your tips are right on with my experiences too. Yours look so much better than mine!

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  29. Look at your perfect logs! I'm so impressed, mine never look like that. I too have had lots of bad luck with biscotti so I rarely make them unless it is a recipe that I trust. Glad to know this one is a winner.

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  30. We've never made biscotti either, and it is indeed a shame! Thanks for offering a whole wheat recipe alternative too. Feels a little healthier. :)

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  31. After all those lessons learned, these are perfect for your first ever biscotti post! Now, we're the lucky recipients of those tips - I'll be sure to keep them in mind when I muster the initiative to make biscotti. 8-)

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  32. I've never attempted biscotti, so I am loving all your tips and the fact that you used whole wheat flour!

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  33. Mmmm, these do look irresistible, and I love just about any veggie that's roasted. Crunchy and with parmesan? I'm going to see if I can find some parsnips at my market this week and make up a batch.

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  34. A cookie with good-for-you whole wheat and nuts. My kind of cookie! ;)

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