Lemon Biscotti
I never saw a biscotti recipe I didn’t want to try, and this one for lemon biscotti was no exception. I tend to gravitate toward almond, anise, spice, and chocolate biscotti as well as any biscotti that has dried fruit, so I was excited to try a flavor I hadn’t made before.
The lemon flavor turned out to be pitch perfect for me. I don’t like it when anything I eat is too lemony and makes my lips pucker, but the amount of lemon in this biscotti was just right. It was actually refreshing and reminded me that Spring is here even thought it’s still raw and cold on Cape Cod. The Cape is surrounded by water, and the winds that blow off the ocean (which won’t warm up for a few more months) keep the air cold and damp. That’s ok, though, because there is a reverse effect in the winter as the winds blow warm air from the ocean to keep our winters mild. And summers and fall are just glorious, so 3 out of 4 ain’t bad!
If you’re familiar with making biscotti, you know that these are twice baked. They’re also pretty straightforward to make. Mix up the dough and chill it for a half hour to make it easier to handle. Then form two logs and do the first bake. Let the logs cool off for 10 minutes, and then slice them at an angle for the second bake. There is some leeway in the bake time depending on how crunchy you like your biscotti. You should know that they’re meant to be dunked in your coffee or tea although you can certainly eat them without dunking. Try them both ways!
As for me, I will be baking another batch of these addictively crunchy biscotti very soon to remind me that actual Spring weather is just around the corner. Another reason is because they’re so good I should have doubled the recipe!
Lemon Biscotti
Makes approximately 2 1/2 dozen 1/2″ biscotti
Ingredients for Biscotti
- 1/2 cup shelled and peeled raw pistachio nuts
- 2 1/3 cups flour
- 1 cup superfine granulated sugar
- 1 tbl. lemon zest from one large lemon
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- 2 tbl. fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
Directions
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Spread pistachio nuts onto a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Line a large baking sheet or two smaller baking sheets with parchment paper.
Place flour, sugar, lemon zest, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Break the eggs into the well, then add lemon juice, vanilla, and melted (cooled) butter.
Whisk together the wet ingredients slowly incorporating part of the dry ingredients. Before the dry ingredients are completely mixed in, switch to a wooden spoon or clean hands to finish incorporating the dry ingredients.
As the mixture starts to come together add the pistachio nuts.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly to form a ball
The mixture can be sticky and may be refrigerated for 30 minutes to make the dough easier to handle. Otherwise, you can go right onto the next step.
Divide the dough into two equal portions. Roll and pat each portion on a lightly floured surface to form a 12 x 2½ inch log. Place logs onto a lined baking sheet.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until browned and firm.
Remove from the oven and cool on baking sheets for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven to 300° F.
While still warm, cut each log into 15 slices. I always use a long, serrated bread knife and use a sawing motion when I cut the biscotti.
Return the biscotti to the cookie sheet, bottom side down (so that the biscotti are upright), and bake in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. The biscotti will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Source: A recipe from Marcellina in Cucina