Passed on from one nonna to the next, this biscotti recipe perfectly balances the sweet with the savory and the softness with the crunch. The resulting treats make the perfect accompaniment to an espresso, something Italians drink from 11am-on into the afternoon and evening.
Yield
About three dozen cookies
Ingredients
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 C brown sugar
1 C white sugar
zest of one orange
1 t almond extract
1 t vanilla extract
1 t orange extract
4 C white flour
2 t baking powder
2 C almonds, lightly toasted and chopped coarsely
1 C semi-sweet chocolate chips
pinch of salt
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Beat the eggs with mixer to medium fluff (no peaks). With the mixer running on low, add the oil, sugar, zest, and extracts. Slowly add the other dry ingredients while continuing to beat on low.
Turn the resulting dough out onto a flat surface, adding additional flour if it’s sticking.
Separate the dough into six even parts, then roll each one out into a log. Flatten each log into a slightly oblique shape about a foot long and two inches wide.
Transfer onto two cookie sheets, three logs per sheet, and bake at 350° for 20-30 minutes, removing when golden brown.
Allow to cool enough to be handled with bare hands, but while still fairly hot, cut the logs on the diagonal into even pieces about 3/4″ wide.
Now, lay each cookie on its cut side and bake again at 350° for about six minutes, only until golden brown. Then flip and repeat for another six minutes. Transfer the cookies onto a cooling rack when finished.
In an airtight container, the biscotti will last at least a week, but Nonna Bucchere says they’ll be long gone before any chance of spoilage.