Baker's Dozen Cookie Challenge Day 7: Gluten-Free or Regular Almond Biscotti
Day 7 of the challenge. I am a week in and have 6 more cookies to go. Phewwww, I do not think I realized how challenging it would be to make so many types of cookies around the same time frame. My neighbor down the hall is starting to get sick of them too and he loves sweets so much more than I do. Hubby is getting a little lucky now because he is out-of-town and getting to skip his duties as head taste tester.
Today is all about almond biscotti. In Italy, Almond Biscotti is commonly served after the meal. It is light, fun and wonderful to finish the meal with. I am on a mission to produce some similar tasting biscotti to enjoy here, while I think of Italy.
I am sad to say this recipe is not exactly what I am seeking but it is quite tasty. I made it both gluten-free and with regular flour because I wanted to test the texture and taste against each other. The gluten-free biscotti came out a little more crisp and the one with regular flour is a little more chewy. Both are very good and the flavors were almost identical.
I really did enjoy seeing my friend Mary’s face light up when she realized I had made a gluten-free version. I guess I never thought about biscotti being rarely made without regular flour. Mary’s feedback on the gluten-free biscotti version is “perfect for dunking but lacking the chewy taste normally associated with biscotti.” An opinion I share as well. So they are yummy but lacking just a little compared to the regular flour ones.
Overall, both are a good cookie but I am still on my search to recreate the perfect Italian Almond Biscotti. These are wonderful with a cup of tea or coffee and while I did not drizzle with white chocolate, they would taste wonderful with it.
Italian Almond Biscotti (Gluten-Free Option)
Ingredients
- ½ cup blanched slivered almonds toasted
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp almond extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour OR gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Toast the slivered almonds on a dry baking sheet for 8–10 minutes, until fragrant and lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Using a mixer, beat the sugar and eggs for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale and thickened. Add the almond extract.
- Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture, mixing just until combined.
- Fold in the toasted almonds.
- Form the dough into a log about 12 inches long and 1 to 1½ inches high on the prepared sheet.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the log is firm and lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes — not longer, or the log will shatter when you slice it.
- Using a serrated bread knife, slice the log into ½ to ¾ inch slices. Place cut side down back on the baking sheet.
- Bake about 10 minutes per side, until golden. The longer you bake, the crisper and less chewy they become.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
- Gluten-free swap: Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking flour substitutes equally for the all-purpose. The gluten-free version comes out slightly crisper; the regular flour version slightly chewier.
- Toasting the almonds is not optional. Untoasted almonds contribute almost no flavor to a twice-baked cookie.
- The 10-minute cooling window matters. Too hot and the log crumbles; fully cooled and it cracks.
- You control the texture with the second bake. Eight minutes a side for softer, 15 for a proper Tuscan crunch.
- Naturally dairy-free — there’s no butter or oil in the recipe.
- Yield: 18 to 20 biscotti, depending on slice thickness.
- Contains tree nuts. Not suitable for almond or tree nut allergies.
- Recipe adapted from Italian Dessert Recipes.