Biscotti for the Holidays
If you’re still searching for great holiday cookies that pack a wallop, look impressive and aren’t a chore to bake, look no further than “Brown Sugar and Almond Biscotti.”
These elegant, golden cookies are studded with slivered almonds, along with light brown sugar that gives them a little more tenderness.
With a crunchy texture from twice-baking, they hold up to dunking in a good cup of espresso, too.
The biscotti recipe is from the new “San Francisco Entertains,” a cookbook that celebrates the centennial of the Junior League of San Francisco. It’s the organization’s first book in 11 year.
With nearly 150 recipes, the cookbook is a culinary romp through the Bay Area with the flavors and dishes that make this region the darling of foodies. It features recipes from local foodies, as well as top chefs and restaurants such as Swan Oyster Depot, Gary Danko Restaurant, and Greens Restaurant.
All proceeds from the sale of the book will support the Junior League of San Francisco’s efforts to support families in need.
Brown Sugar and Almond Biscotti
(Makes about 30)
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk flour with brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Combine eggs, butter and extracts in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Stir in almonds. Stir into the flour mixture; mix well.
Knead lightly on a lightly floured surface until mixture forms a dough. Shape into two 4-by-10-inch logs with moistened fingers. Place on baking sheets lined with baking parchment. Bake for 45 minutes or until firm and golden brown.
Reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees. Cool logs on baking sheets for 10 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and remove baking parchment from the baking sheets. Cut logs diagonally into 3/4-inch slices with a serrated knife. Arrange cut side down on baking sheets. Bake for 15 minutes on each side or until dry.
From “San Francisco Entertains”
More Cookie Recipes: Pinched Orange Macaroons
More: The Essential Crunchy Oatmeal Cookie
More: Biscotti Regina
More: Ad Hoc Chocolate Chip Cookies
More: Peanut Butter Cookies with Milk Chocolate Chunks
More: Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread Cookies
More: Italian Macaroons
Beautiful biscotti and cookies! That is a speciality that is very successful at home.
Cheers,
Rosa
What a fantastic cookbook, I really love reading about regional fare. And I’ve been dying to make biscotti! They’re perfect for this time of year when you can expect unexpected visitors to pop up!
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Wow, that looks like a great biscotti and a great book in general!
Love biscotti all year round. There is a great little company in Redwood City that supplies a lot of the local grocery stores. It’s called La Biscotteria on El Camino Real. They also make an awesome panetone bread!
Those are some picture perfect biscotti. Should be an interesting cookbook to read and cook from.
BIscotti is totally perfect for the holidays especially as a gift since they’re sturdy enough for transportation! I was actually planning on making some Gingerbread flavored ones but you might have changed my mind. 🙂
Biscotti has always been the type of cookies I think I would really like, but never have the courage to make. It might be time for me to pull myself together and try! The biscotti shot is simply lovely!
well hello ms food gal…i’ve been so absent and missed many a good reads from you. i’m here to catch up…pass me some of those bicotti
Great idea for a Christmas gift! I’m seeing delicious biscotti everywhere today! 😀
The biscotti looks fantastic. These are great for gift giving!
I love almond biscotti, and I love the idea of adding brown sugar. Thanks for the review!
I love biscotti. I always have some for breakfast on Christmas morning with some tea. It’s tradition 🙂
Megan: Wow! I like your idea of holiday breakfast. 😉
biscotti makes a great gift, especially if the usps is involved. they’re sturdy little suckers and always tend to survive the journey. 🙂
Carolyn, I love Biscotti and make a variety of biscotti every Christmas for family & friends. I’m anxious to try this one. If you want my other recipes let me know (Lemon poppyseed, Lemon almond, Orange pecan, Chocolate walnut, and Double chocolate) I also provided these for the restaurants that I used to bake for.
Nice recipe, pity I never got a chance to eat it.
I guess that using those oven temperatures in Fahrenheit instead of Celsius would have resulted in a blithering idiot like me not practically burning down his apartment.
Thanks for the lesson learned… I think 🙁
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made these last night and my 100% Italian father in law told his wife they’re better than hers! Easy and delish!!!
I’m wondering how i could balance this recipe without the butter, and with less white sugar? would love some help adjusting the recipe slightly – to be less sweet – so i can add some white chocolate chunks in the mix?!
Chloe: I’m never tried doing that. If you omit the butter, the cookies will probably be harder in texture. If you decreased a bit of the sugar, I would do so with the granulated as opposed to the light brown, as the latter gives it such a nice flavor and a slightly more tender bite. Good luck with it. You’ll have to tell me how your adapted version comes out.
These are fantastic! I made them for Christmas and could not stop eating them! The brown sugar makes them so much tastier than ordinary biscotti. Making them again now!
Ellen: So glad you loved the biscotti recipe. It’s one of my favorites, too. The brown sugar gives them an almost caramel-like note. Happy 2016 to you!
I came across this recipe on Pinterest and made it last night. So very good! Thanks for sharing. I also posted a review on my blog, http://adlinsadventures.blogspot.com/2016/02/recipe-review-brown-sugar-almond.html. Will definitely be looking at your other recipes.
Adlin: So happy to hear your enthusiasm for this biscotti recipe. It really is a great one. And so perfect to enjoy no matter what time of year.
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