Have you ever thought you were going to break a tooth on a biscotti you buy at the local bakery? This Almond Biscotti recipe is inspired by an Americas Test Kitchen recipe and is one of the best you will ever try. Their procedure for baking these Italian delights is fool-proof.

It’s right there in between hard and soft and one that you can easily dunk into your coffee without it falling to the bottom of the cup and saving you a trip to the dentist. :)

You will need a large cookie sheet with a lip or 2 small ones + parchment paper and a wire rack of some sort to bake the cookies for the second time.



Ingredients

1 1/3 cups whole almonds, lightly toasted
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. table salt
2 large eggs, plus 1 egg white, beaten
1 cup granulated sugar
4 tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp. almond extract
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pan spray

Method

1. Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat at 325 degrees F. On the parchment, draw two rectangles 8” x 3” with a pencil at least 4” apart (I accidentally did 11 x 3 and they came out fine – just don’t overcook them). Spray the sheet pan with spray and flatten the parchment onto this, pencil side down. Set aside.

2. In a food processor, pulse 1 cup of the almonds until coarse (8 – 10 pulses); transfer to a bowl and set aside. Process the remaining ¼ cup almonds in food processor and grind fine. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt; process to combine. Set aside in a small bowl.

3. In an empty processor, add the eggs and process until doubled in size and look light and creamy – approximately 3 minutes on the lowest speed. With the motor running, add the melted butter, extracts, and process until combined. Transfer the egg mixture to a medium bowl, sprinkle half of the flour over, and gently fold in with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Add the remaining flour and the chopped almonds, gently folding in. Divide the batter in half.

4. Using floured hands often, mold the batter using the rectangles as a guide. Take your time with this. The loaves need to be the same thickness and kind of flat looking. Spray each loaf with pan spray and smooth the surfaces with a spatula. Brush the loaves with the egg white all over the top and the sides. Bake until golden and the tops start to crack (about 25-30 minutes) turning the pan halfway through baking. Let the pan cool for at least thirty minutes before cutting on the bias with a serrated bread knife into ½ inch thick cookies.

Place the cookies cut side down on the wire rack on a rimmed cookie sheet about ¼ inch apart. Bake until golden on both sides for about 30 minutes, flipping the cookies halfway through baking. Let cool and store in an airtight container for 1 month.
Makes approx. 30 cookies