Blood Orange Biscotti

There’s nothing quite like enjoying an afternoon cup of coffee with a biscotti on the side for dipping. I don’t have a big sweet tooth, so cookies are usually the last on my list of satisfying snacks. The biscotti however… I can stand behind a biscotti in all it’s golden glory.

Biscotti which translates to “twice cooked” is both their name and how they are made. We appreciate this method of baking to yield a very crunchy, evenly cooked, and beautifully golden cookie. The recipe I am sharing today encompasses all of these qualities, but with a unique, fun twist- blood orange. The basis of this recipe comes from a note card I found in my Nonna’s recipe box. I made some adjustments to the original recipe before testing it many times, and they have always turn out perfectly. Through this, I’ve discovered the biscotti to be a very versatile dough that can be adjusted by swapping ingredients out simply because you don’t have them on hand. The original recipe used vegetable oil as the fat rather than butter for example, but the day I made these I only had butter on hand. Flavour wise, the blood orange could easily be swapped for lemon or other citrus fruit, and the almond extract could become vanilla. You certainly can’t do such a quick swap of ingredients in most baking recipes, but because this one is forgiving, why not be creative! 

BLOOD ORANGE BISCOTTI WITH ALMONDS

Ingredients:

• 85 g butter, room temperature
• 135 g sugar
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 ½ tsp. baking powder
• 2 large eggs, room temperature 
• Zest of 1 blood orange *
• 43 g blood orange juice *
• 1 tsp. almond extract *
• 306 g all-purpose flour
• 80 g whole almonds, toasted and roughly chopped

Glaze

• 100 g powdered sugar
• 1-2 tbsp. blood orange juice *
• Sprinkles (optional)

*All of these ingredients can we swapped for different flavours 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix butter, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Approximately 4-5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl. On low speed, add the eggs one at a time, allowing them to incorporate in the batter between each addition. Add the baking powder, orange zest, and orange juice, mixing until combined. Continuing on low speed, gradually add in the flour. Mix just until all the flour is evenly incorporated in the batter. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the almonds with a spatula.  

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Scrape the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Using your hands, form the dough into a log that is approximately 8cm x 38cm. Using the palm of your hand, flatten along the top of the log, creating a more rectangular shape. If you like, you can use a bench scraper to smooth out/straighten the sides of the log, but this is not necessary! Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.

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After the first bake, let the log cool completely. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Using a very sharp serrated knife, cut the log into 2cm thick cookies. Place the cut biscotti flat on the baking sheet. They don’t nee to be spaced out for the second bake as the dough will not change in shape of size. Bake the biscotti for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool.

For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar and orange juice until smooth. You can play around with the thickness of your glaze by adding more or less liquid. Once you reach a desired consistency, dip the top of each biscotti into the glaze. I like to stand each biscotti up on the wire rack once they have been dipped so that the glaze forms a nice strip along the top. While they are still wet, add sprinkles if you choose. Allow the glaze to dry for about 30 minutes before enjoying.