Biscotti is Alive and Well!

At least at my house this holiday season!

You see, biscotti (pronounced /bɪˈskɒti/, Italian pronunciation: [bisˈkɔtti]) which is really a "twice-baked" cookie or 'biscuit" popular in Italy, seemed to be gaining popularity here more than a decade ago. I started seeing them everywhere, from the Fancy Food Show, to coffee bars to grocery shelves! It was during that time that I thought I should try my hand at baking some of these "cookies".

I discovered that I really liked how these little gems tasted! Crispy, and great dunked in coffee or Vin Santo (an Italian dessert wine traditional to Tuscany). Anyway, I experimented with many many recipes back then, finally coming up with what became my "signature" biscotti. I managed to come up with some recipes that don't use butter which makes you think they will be to hard to even bite, but somehow, it works and you really won't miss the butter!


I haven't made these for years now, somehow, with working so much and my path away from wheat and gluten, these had become a distant memory.

As I was trying to come up with creative and thoughtful gifts for the holiday this year, I remembered how much my family and friends used to love my biscotti....so I thought it was time to try it again! Just because I have a wheat sensitivity, others should not have to suffer for it! Suddenly it became a kind of crusade. I needed to get these baked and out as soon as possible.... Then it hit me: why not try making them with spelt flour instead of the traditional wheat? (some people with wheat sensitivity can tolerate spelt-people with celiac most definitely can not). The worst that would happen is that they would taste awful and then I would know that it doesn't work.

So, I got to the task and decided to bake the Orange Almond with spelt flour, and the Chocolate-Cherry Hazelnut, with regular wheat flour.

To my delight and amazement, the ones I bake with the spelt flour came out, dare I say, even better than the wheat flour! The texture was crunchy and you could really taste the nuts and orange....a very happy ending indeed!

So here are the recipes that I hope you will try. And whether you decide to use regular flour or the spelt, that is up to you.....

Rob, these are for you!! Thanks for waiting!

Chocolate-Cherry Hazelnut Biscotti

1 cup hazelnuts
1 cup dried tart cherries
4-5 oz good quality chocolate, broken up
3 eggs
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1 tbsp Frangelico liquor, optional
1 -3/4 cup all-purpose flour (if you use spelt, sift it after measuring-this will lighten it up some)
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
dash of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, being careful not to burn. While nuts are still warm, place them in a clean towel and rub to remove skins. Let cool.
2. In a small bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and Frangelico with a wire whisk. (you can do this with a hand mixer or a stand mixer as well)
3. In a larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add egg mixture and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Fold in the nuts and broken chocolate.
4. On a greased and floured baking sheet, pat out dough into 2 logs about 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inches wide and 12 inches long, and space them at least 2-3 inches apart. ( the dough will be a little sticky so you will want to flour your hands when you do this)
5. Bake in the middle of a 300°F oven for 40-50 minutes until set. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Place logs on a cutting board and with a sharp serrated knife, cut diagonally at about a 45° angle about 1/2 an inch thick.
7. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet, and return to a 275°F oven for 20-25 minutes, turning them over once at the halfway mark, to evenly crisp.
8. Let cool on a rack. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.


Orange Almond Biscotti

3/4 cup whole almonds
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 cups all-purpose flour (or spelt flour sifted)
7/8 cup sugar
2 tsp grated orange zest
1/2 tsp baking soda
dash of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place nuts in a shallow pan and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden brown, being careful not to burn.
2. In a small bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and almond extracts, and orange zest with a wire whisk. (you can do this with a hand mixer or a stand mixer as well)
3. In a larger bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Add egg mixture and mix until blended, about 1 minute. Roughly chop nuts and fold in.
4. On a greased and floured baking sheet, pat out dough into 2 logs about 1/2 inch thick, 1 1/2 inches wide and 12 inches long, and space them at least 2-3 inches apart. ( the dough will be a little sticky so you will want to flour your hands when you do this)
5. Bake in the middle of a 300°F oven for 40-50 minutes until set. Transfer to a rack and let cool for 5 minutes.
6. Place logs on a cutting board and with a sharp serrated knife, cut diagonally at about a 45° angle about 1/2 an inch thick.
7. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet, and return to a 275°F oven for 20-25 minutes, turning them over once at the halfway mark, to evenly crisp.
8. Let cool on a rack. Can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.