Today’s post
We’re back with a new recipe and it’s almost December, so you can guess what’s at the front of our minds. That’s right, it’s almost Christmas! Well, there are still a few weeks to go, but we’re closer to it now than we were a week ago. And with Christmas comes a very festive baking season, especially for Christmas cookies. In the US especially, it’s popular to build Christmas cookie boxes to give to family and friends, or to attend Christmas cookie swaps, where everyone brings something to exchange. So, if you’re on the hunt for a new recipe to add to your Christmas cookie repertoire, our version of biscotti might be the one for you. Keep on reading to find out what we’re bringing to your tables today! You can find more of our cookie recipes here.
Biscotti, not so Scandinavian
These are not the most Scandinavian of recipes, that’s definitely true. But we went for Scandinavian flavors, so that’s our excuse for publishing the recipe for these. Plus, they were just too good not to share! Yes, these are one of our favorite cookies to enjoy alongside a cup of coffee – biscotti. They’re really fun to make, as you bake them twice, making them very crunchy and therefore ideal to dunk in a hot drink. It’s also a simple recipe with ingredients you may already have, making them a great option for a quick or last-minute bake. You can also incorporate different flavors and textures into a base recipe, which leaves room for a bit of creativity – always a good thing. What would be your ideal flavors for a type of biscotti?
Orange and cardamom – perfect for the holidays!
This time, we’ve gone for some classic Scandinavian flavors, as mentioned before, because they’re also really good flavors for the holiday season. Cardamom and orange! Cardamom gives the biscotti a lovely floral spice, while the orange gives a subtle citrus flavor that balances it out nicely. Chopped and toasted almonds are included for a bit of texture, but we’ve left out the almond extract this time so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. The white chocolate drizzle on top adds perfect sweetness to a not-too-sweet cookie, leaving you with a well-balanced and great-textured cookie. Enjoy alongside a strong cup of coffee – if that’s your cup of tea 😉 – and you’ll be making these over and over again.
Ingredients to make these biscotti
For these biscotti, you’ll need eggs, sugar, butter, vanilla extract, an orange, all-purpose or plain flour, baking powder, salt, cardamom, toasted chopped/flaked almonds, and white chocolate to decorate. This is also where you can use what you have on hand! The almonds can be replaced with other nuts, such as pistachios, walnuts, hazelnut, or even pecans. Just make sure they’re toasted for optimal flavor! You can feel free to add other spices, like cinnamon or nutmeg, just beware that they’ll probably pack a punch so use a light hand when adding them. Finally, you can use another type of chocolate to decorate or dip instead of drizzle – it’s really up to you.
How to make orange cardamom and almond biscotti
The process for making these biscotti is simple. Brown your butter on the stove, then set aside just to cool for a couple of minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and orange zest, whisk until well combined. In a separate smaller bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and fold together until no dry spots remain. If the dough seems too sticky to touch, put it in the fridge for about 15 minutes until you can handle it. Preheat your oven at this stage to 350 F or 175 C.
Next, shape the dough into 2 logs – you can use some water on your hands to help it not stick, but it should be easy enough to work with at this point. Bake these logs on a baking sheet for 18-20 minutes, they should be brown around the edges and springy to the touch. Remove and lower the temperature to 320 F or 160 C. Let the logs cool for about 5-10 minutes, then slice them into slices that are about 3/4 of an inch thick. Lay them out on the baking sheet and return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes. When they’re done, they’ll be golden brown and very crispy. Let them cool, then drizzle melted chocolate on top and sprinkle with flaked almonds. Enjoy!
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Biscotti with Orange Cardamom and Almond
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 120 grams granulated sugar
- 60 grams browned butter, slightly cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp orange juice
- Orange zest from one orange (the more the merrier!)
- 240 grams all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp cardamom
- 50 grams flaked almonds (also called sliced almonds)
- White chocolate to decorate (optional)
- Extra flaked almonds for the top
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 175C or 350F.
- Brown butter on the stove by heating butter over medium heat and swirling continuously until it starts to turn golden, then remove from the heat because it will continue to brown! Set aside to cool off slightly.
- Mix together browned butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and orange zest in a bowl. Whisk well.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cardamom.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and add in the almonds.
- Shape the dough into two flat logs on a parchment paper lined baking sheet – refrigerate if they are getting super soft!
- Bake for 18-20 minutes and remove from the oven once golden brown around the edges and springy. Lower the oven temperature to 160C or 320F.
- Let the logs cool for about 5 minutes (so you can handle them without burning your fingers) and slice into 3/4 inch thick slices. You’ll probably get around 8 cookies from each log!
- Lay the cookies flat on a baking sheet (cut side down). You will likely need two baking sheets.
- Bake the cookies again until they are crisp and deepened even further in color, about 15-20 minutes.
- Let cool on a baking sheet.
- Melt some white chocolate and drizzle over the cookies. Sprinkle over some flaked almonds. Enjoy!
