Mocha Hazelnut Biscotti Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What makes biscotti hard? ›

They are baked twice, which gives them their signature hard and crunchy texture. Biscotti are traditionally dipping in a drink before eating.

Biscotti are made with a very simple dough that you can customize with your favorite extracts and add-ins. They're different from most cookies, because instead of scooping the dough, you'll form it into two logs, bake them, let them cool completely, and then slice and them bake again.

It is known for its crisp, dry texture and long shelf life. The name “biscotti” is Italian for “twice-cooked,” referring to the traditional method of baking the cookies twice, first in a log shape, then slicing and baking them again, which gives them their characteristic dry, crunchy texture.

Despite their centuries-old heritage, there is no one perfect way to make biscotti. Some recipes call for eggs only, which is the traditional method, while others swear by butter or oil. The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life.

You guessed it, add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold in the pistachios, cardamom, and vanilla extract. Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time.

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

The trickiest parts of making them are the mixing and the shaping and baking. Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.

Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat. Baking powder makes dough rise because it contains both a base and an acid in dried form.

Unlike many traditional cookies, biscotti are often lower in fat and sugar. Add some heart healthy nuts and you have a satisfying and relatively light treat! This delicious cookie can easily be made vegan & vegetarian friendly.

What is the difference between Italian and American biscotti? ›

Here it is, a biscotti recipe everyone can enjoy — unlike classic Italian biscotti, which are quite hard, these are light and crunchy. Biscotti bake twice rather than once, and thus take a bit longer start-to-finish than normal drop cookies.

Tuscan Biscotti – In Tuscany, biscotti was referred to as Cantucci Di Prato. They began to be a treat, no longer the utility cracker that they once were for the Romans and were flavored with almonds from the almond groves in nearby Prato.

While I rather like the name of my blog, I am aware of a problem with it, and that is in the very word biscotti. First of all, the strict answer to the question “When is a biscotti not a biscotti?” is “never”, because in Italian “biscotti” is a plural word, meaning biscuits, while the singular is “biscotto”.

Biscotti typically contain fat, cantucci, if made traditionally, do not. Cantucci and cantuccini, possibly made famous by Antonio Mattei, originated in the town of Prato and always have almonds. "Ini" is the diminutive form meaning little, so cantuccini are the smaller cantucci.

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

To make these cookies, start by whipping eggs and a couple of extra egg yolks together with sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. This step is key to making biscotti that are crisp but not hard. Get the mixture very pale, thick, and airy. All that air will help lighten the biscotti.