GOOD EATS: pistachio biscotti recipe

Pistachio Biscotti Recipe by The Sweet Escape

biscotti recipe
I may be a bit biased with my Italian background and all but I think biscotti are one of the most underrated cookies out there. I’ve tried many brands and they always seem a little greasy or sugary to me. There’s nothing that can compare to a batch of homemade ones. 
 
Don’t let the double bake technique scare you. It’s really a very simple recipe. I do it all in one bowl and I don’t even have a proper mixer, I just use a hand mixer to blend the butter & sugar at the beginning then mix the rest by hand. Feel free to replace the pistachios with another nut of your choice. Hazelnuts are another favourite of mine. 
 
PISTACHIO BISCOTTI INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups of white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch salt
1 zested orange
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup pistachios 
 
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
 
Tip: If using hazelnuts, try roasting them at 350 for 10 minutes first. After removing from oven, place on clean dry towel and rub to remove as much of the skin as possible before using in recipe. 

With an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar on medium speed until combined, about 1 minute. Add zest & vanilla and combine.

Combine the flour, baking powder, salt separately then slowly add to wet mixture adding one egg half way and the second one at the end. Mix until a dough forms.  Add the nuts and mix by hand until combined – either in the bowl or knead on a floured surface. 

biscotti recipe

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface (if you haven’t already) and shape it into a 12-inch-long log. Transfer the log to a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the log is baked enough not to fall apart.

Note – this recipe makes one large log. Shown below is a double recipe but I highly recommend making it in two batches and not just doubling the igredients. 

biscotti recipe

Leave the oven on. Using a large sharp knife, cut the log on the diagonal into 1/2 -inch-thick slices.

biscotti recipe

Place the biscotti cut side up on the lined baking sheet and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp. Keep an eye on them and judge accordingly based on your oven.

biscotti recipe

There’s nothing better than a crunchy biscotti (or two or three) with a warm cup of milk or a coffee. Because they’re a dry biscuit, they can keep for weeks in a sealed container. Not that they will last that long!

biscotti recipe

 


10 responses to “GOOD EATS: pistachio biscotti recipe”

    • Nice! You can also drizzle or dip them in chocolate for a little extra somethin’ somethin’ for the holidays.

    • You are right. Biscotti are an exceptional cookie regardless of what nuts you add. They all taste GREAT!

  1. Hi Pam , I tried the biscotti rpciee but I found it hard to slice them into thin slices and secondly how do I make them a little less hard and a little more softer ? any tips on that ?

    • To make them a little softer you can cut the 2nd cooking time down a little. (When you slice and crisp the sides-take them out a little sooner & they should stay a little softer.) .

  2. I added raisins to it too and they turned out delish! My question: I divided the dough into two logs and baked it. My first baking took a total of 15 minutes. Any idea why the baking time increased?

    • Hi Tasneem, that sounds delish! The baking time isn’t set in stone – it can depend on your oven or the size of your “logs”. They just need to bake enough until they won’t fall apart when cut before the 2nd baking. I revised the post to mention this. Enjoy your treats!