Aunt Mary’s Almond Biscotti

Aunt Mary's Almond Biscotti | A classic Italian recipe for biscotti with bits of toasted almond and dark chocolate! #cookies #wholegrain   www.makingthymeforhealth.com

And just like that, we’re done with Thanksgiving and on to Christmas.

Doesn’t it feel like the holidays fly by faster each year? Or is that just a sign that I’m getting old?

Don’t answer that question.

Sadly I didn’t get a chance to eat any pumpkin pie yesterday but that’s okay, I have every intention of making up for it by baking ALL THE COOKIES.

Aunt Mary's Biscotti

In case you are wondering, biscotti is totally a cookie.

It was created when some Italian guy tried to get a little dunk action goin’ by shoving a circular cookie into his espresso cup and it wouldn’t fit. Lo and behold, the birth of a long skinny cookie that you can dunk until the very last bite.

Genius.

Aunt Mary's Almond Biscotti | A classic Italian recipe for biscotti with bits of toasted almond and dark chocolate! #cookies #wholegrain   www.makingthymeforhealth.com

I just made that up.

Speaking of Italians, this recipe comes from straight from my grandfather’s sister (aka Aunt Mary) who makes the best biscotti I have ever eaten. And I’m not making that part up, promise.

I modified her recipe slightly by using whole wheat pastry flour and adding dark chocolate so that might explain why they look kind of rustic. That and I made them thick so that they’re crunchy on the outside but still slightly soft on the inside. <3

Aunt Mary's Biscotti

If you like them really crunchy then you can just make each side of the dough into long skinny logs rather than…err, loaves?

Aunt-Marys-Biscotti-_thumb.jpg

Either way, they’re dangerous. I tried to bring half of them to work to remove the temptation for me to reach into the container every time I entered the kitchen but Brandon was not having it. He refused to share them with anyone else!

I’d say that’s a good sign.

Aunt Mary's Almond Biscotti | A classic Italian recipe for biscotti with bits of toasted almond and dark chocolate! #cookies #wholegrain   www.makingthymeforhealth.com

Aunt Mary’s Almond Biscotti

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes

Yield: 20 cookies

Ingredients

2 and 1/2 cups flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup lightly toasted almonds, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted butter (I used Earth Balance- omit salt if using salted butter)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon anise extract (or another 1/2 teaspoon vanilla)

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate (or chocolate chips) 

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Using a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour with the almonds, baking powder and salt.
  3. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet along with the chopped chocolate and use a spatula to fold together until a dough forms.
  5. Shape the dough into a round ball with your hands and then slice it in half. Form each side into logs, about 12 inches long. If you prefer smaller biscotti then you make each log longer and skinnier.
  6. Bake them in the oven for 20 minutes and then allow to cool for 10 minutes or so. Slice each one diagonally so that each piece is roughly 1-2 inches thick. You can make them thinner or thicker depending on your preferences.
  7. Lay each piece cut side down on the cookie sheet and then return to the oven to cook for 15 minutes. Flip each piece so that the other side is down and cook for 15 more minutes. They should be golden brown by this point.
  8. Allow to cool for at least 20 minutes and then serve.

Notes

Toast the almonds by placing them on a cookie sheet and baking in the oven (at 350°F) for about 7 minutes.

https://www.makingthymeforhealth.com/aunt-marys-almond-biscotti/