Baking Bucket List: Biscotti

We all have one, right? A baking bucket list? Things we’ve pinned ages ago that we either haven’t mustered up the courage to undertake, or are reluctant to try because the ingredients are expensive and confusing, or we have no intention of making at all, we just like how they look on the board. Guilty as charged. 

This one is a little different though. Biscotti isn’t something that’s been on my bucket list forever. To be honest, I don’t even really like biscotti. Why? 

-I don’t drink coffee and everyone knows the whole point of biscotti is to dunk in your coffee; I feel like I’m getting gypped. 

-I prefer my cookies seriously underbaked. They've been in the oven 10 minutes?! Quick, get ‘em out of there before they crisp up! Better yet, just give me the raw dough. 

-It's double the work of normal cookies; biscotti translates to "twice cooked." What a diva.

Why all the fuss about a cookie I’m not that into? I actually am into biscotti, I’m just bitter because I haven’t mastered them yet; hence the bucket list. Truth be told, I’ll skip the coffee and dunk my biscotti straight into hot chocolate. I’ll cheat and only bake them once so it’s not like biting into a rock. There’s a zillion types and flavors to play around with. They’re a good change of pace from the standard peanut butter chocolate chip I’m usually dreaming about. And the name! Biscotti equals fancy; you bring these somewhere and people are impressed.

I have a decent jumping off point that I’ve compiled from lots of trial and error. Here’s the thing about biscotti dough: it’s seriously sticky. Flour your hands and your arms and your workspace and then flour it some more; that’s the nature of the beast. I’ve had doughs come together nicely without all the stickiness and laughed an evil laugh to myself, thinking I cracked the code and here was a biscotti dough that was actually easy to work with. And then it didn’t spread at all in the oven. Or it spread way too much. Or it was the texture of sandpaper. Biscotti dough is sticky and messy and that’s how you know it’s a keeper. In my experience, at least.

The key for working with this super sticky dough (besides ample flour): chill the dough. I always make the dough ahead of time and wrestle it into plastic wrap. When I go to bake it later, it’s much easier to work with.

My other trick? Letting the cookies cool completely before you cut them for their second bake. If you’re not familiar with baking biscotti, here’s a quick run down: the dough gets formed into a log and baked on a cookie sheet, where it will spread out a bit and you’ll end up with a football-ish shape. You let this cool, cut them on the diagonal, and then bake them again for their signature hardness. The thing is, almost every recipe I’ve come across for biscotti says to let them cool for 10-15 minutes and then cut into them. Um, what; nothing’s cooled down in that time, least of all the center, which I’m cutting into and ruining all of my hard work. I let them cool at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes, then I stick them in the refrigerator for at least a half hour. This makes cutting into them for their second bake much easier. 

Like I said, this recipe is a great jumping off point. I’ve used it for chocolate chip and coconut biscotti, anise and almond, cranberry and white chocolate; this dough is your oyster. The cookies pictured are pistachio and dried cherry.

Basic Biscotti Dough

Yield: About 4 dozen cookies*

Ingredients:

5 ½ cups AP flour

3 ½ cups sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

6 eggs, room temperature

6 yolks, room temperature

4 teaspoons vanilla extract 

3 cups total mix ins: dried fruit, nuts, coconut, chocolate, etc. 

Ex: 1.5 cups pistachio and 1.5 cups dried cherries in the biscotti pictured, 3 cups total. If you’re making them flavored, sub out the vanilla extract for whatever flavor you’re using. Ex: for anise biscotti, add two teaspoons vanilla and two teaspoons anise extract, four teaspoons total. 

Instructions:

1. In a stand mixer or hand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs, yolks and vanilla (dough is sticky and much easier in a mixer than by hand, but a mixer isn't required).

2. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add to mixer and mix until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

3. Add in nuts/fruit/chocolate chips/ etc. and any flavorings. Mix until combined.

4. Generously flour your hands and your workspace and scrape out dough onto floured surface. Divide dough into two logs. Wrap in plastic and chill dough for at least an hour.

5. Transfer log onto cookie sheet (one log per sheet, it will spread) and bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, until browned and set. I cover with foil for the last few minutes of baking so it doesn’t get too browned. 

6. Remove from the oven and let cool completely; this will take at least an hour. If you want to speed up the process, stick the logs in the fridge.

7. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into ¼ inch slices. 

8. Place the slices on a baking sheet and bake at 325F for 12 minutes, flipping the slices over halfway through. Better to overbake than underbake, as they will firm up as they cool. If they’re not your desired crispness, give them more time in the oven.

*The measurements may seem like a lot, but since biscotti is an annoying dough to work with, it’s just easier to make in larger quantities. The dough will last for ages in your refrigerator, and baked biscotti freeze beautifully.