I wish I could remember exactly when I began baking biscotti, but it was definitely when my kids were very small. Even though I grew up in an Italian-American family, I knew no one who actually baked their own. My Grandma Corriero bought hers at the supermarket and those were the only ones I’d ever tried. (They definitely tasted store-bought.) But one of my Moosewood Cookbooks had a recipe for them, so I made them on a whim once and have loved biscotti ever since.
My two favorite aspects of biscotti are: you pretty much can’t ruin them and they are so easy!!! I am an impatient, lazy cook and baker, so I go with easy recipes whenever I get the chance.
Here is my biscotti recipe, adapted from Moosewood.
Biscotti
1/4 cup vegan butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 teaspoon freshly grated orange (or lemon) peel
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, almonds, or pecans
2 1/4 cups gluten free flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat the oven to 350 and line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper.
In a mixing bowl, cream together the vegan butter and the sugar, add the eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and grated orange peel. Fold in the nuts.
In a small bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to wet and and mix until blended and dough holds together when pressed with floured hands. This dough is meant to be on the stiff side.
Scoop the dough onto a lined baking sheet and shape into a log, about 12 x 3 inches. Press down and flatten until it’s about 14 x 4 inches.
The biscotti will last in an airtight container for a couple of weeks or in the freezer for a few months.
You can add fruit or chocolate chips instead of nuts. You can also add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon or nutmeg.
of choice (with xanthan gum in the mix)
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