Toasted Almond & Orange Biscotti

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast the almonds

   Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment. Spread the almonds on a second pan and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, until they smell nutty and the skins have darkened a shade. Tip them onto a board, let them cool, then chop coarsely — you want halves and big shards, not dust, so every slice gets a few visible pieces.

2. 2

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together for a good fifteen seconds. Biscotti dough is stiff and gets minimal mixing, so the leavening needs to be evenly distributed before the wet ingredients go anywhere near it.

3. 3

   Combine the wet ingredients

   In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each, then whisk in the vanilla, almond extract and orange zest. Rub the zest against the side of the bowl with the whisk for a moment to release its oils.

4. 4

   Bring the dough together

   Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir with a sturdy spatula just until no floury streaks remain — it will look shaggy and feel firm, which is correct. Fold in the chopped almonds. If the last of the flour refuses to come in, finish with a few turns of your hand; over-kneading here makes tough biscotti.

5. 5

   Shape two logs

   Divide the dough in half. With lightly dampened hands, shape each half directly on the lined pan into a log about 10 inches long, 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick, leaving at least 3 inches between them — they spread as they bake. Smooth the tops and tidy the sides so the finished slices have straight edges.

6. 6

   First bake

   Brush the logs with the beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until the tops are pale gold, firm and lightly cracked, and the centers spring back when pressed. Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven runs uneven.

7. 7

   Cool, then slice

   Slide the logs onto a cutting board and let them rest for 15 to 20 minutes. This window matters: too hot and they crumble, too cold and they shatter. Using a long serrated knife, cut on a diagonal into 3/4-inch slices with a slow sawing motion and almost no downward pressure.

8. 8

   Second bake

   Lower the oven to 325°F (165°C). Stand the slices cut-side down on the pan and bake for 10 minutes, flip each one, then bake another 10 to 12 minutes until both cut faces are dry and golden. They will still give slightly in the center — that's fine, they firm up dramatically as they cool.

9. 9

   Cool completely

   Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack in a single layer and leave them until fully cool, at least 30 minutes. Only then can you judge the snap. If any feel softer than you'd like, return them to a 300°F oven for 5 more minutes and cool again.

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Baker's Tips

• 1.

  Biscotti crispness is set in the second bake, not the first. Want them harder for dunking? Add 3 to 5 minutes. Prefer a shortbread-like bite? Pull them a few minutes early.

• 2.

  A serrated bread knife and a sawing motion are non-negotiable. A chef's knife pressed straight down will split the log along the almonds every time.

• 3.

  Toasting the almonds before they go in the dough is worth the extra ten minutes — raw almonds steam inside the dough and taste flat by comparison.

• 4.

  Swap in pistachios and dried cherries, hazelnuts and orange, or skip the almond extract and add 2 teaspoons of crushed anise seed for a more old-school Italian flavor.

• 5.

  For a dipped finish, melt 4 ounces of dark chocolate, dip one cut face or one end of each cooled cookie, and set on parchment until firm.

• 6.

  Weigh your flour if you can. An extra heavy-handed cup turns a firm dough into a dry, crumbly one that won't hold a log shape.

Equipment

• Large rimmed baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Medium and large mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Sturdy silicone spatula
• Microplane or fine grater
• Long serrated knife
• Cutting board
• Wire cooling rack
• Kitchen scale (recommended)

Storage