Toasted Almond & Orange Biscotti, Gluten Free

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 gluten-free flour blend, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt together for a good fifteen seconds. Check your blend's label first: if it already lists xanthan gum or guar gum, leave the extra out or the cookies will turn gummy.

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 milk, vanilla, almond extract and orange zest. The extra tablespoon of milk compensates for the thirstier starches in the blend.

4. 4

   Bring the dough together and rest it

   Stir the dry ingredients into the wet just until combined, then fold in the almonds. The dough will feel noticeably softer and stickier than a wheat dough — don't add flour. Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 25 to 30 minutes so the starches hydrate; it will firm up into something you can shape and will bake with far less grittiness.

5. 5

   Shape two logs

   Divide the dough in half. With damp 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. Re-wet your hands as needed and smooth the tops and sides well — gluten-free dough won't self-level, so the shape you build is the shape you bake.

6. 6

   First bake

   Brush the logs with the beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar if using. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the tops are golden and feel set and dry to a light touch rather than tacky. Gluten-free logs need the longer end of the range; underbaking here is the main cause of crumbling at the knife.

7. 7

   Cool fully, then slice

   Slide the logs onto a cutting board and let them cool for 25 to 30 minutes — longer than a wheat log, since the starch structure needs time to set. Using a long serrated knife, cut on a diagonal into 3/4-inch slices with a slow sawing motion and almost no downward pressure. A gentle hand under each slice as you finish the cut keeps it intact.

8. 8

   Second bake

   Lower the oven to 300°F (150°C). Stand the slices cut-side down and bake for 12 minutes, flip each one, then bake another 12 to 14 minutes. The lower temperature and longer time dry them through without over-browning the starches, which scorch faster than wheat flour. Both cut faces should look matte and sandy, not glossy.

9. 9

   Cool completely

   Transfer to a wire rack in a single layer and leave them untouched until fully cool, at least 40 minutes. Gluten-free biscotti crisp up almost entirely during cooling, so judge the texture only once they're at room temperature. If any are still soft in the middle, give them 5 more minutes at 300°F 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.