TWD: Toasted Almond Biscotti

Toasted Almond Biscotti

Biscotti are fun to make because there’s always that little bit of worry that the nicely firm logs you just baked are going to shatter as you slice them. Sturdy cookies, they always hold up just fine.

Slicing posed no problem for today’s Tuesdays with Dorie treats. I made mine with almonds instead of the hazelnuts called for in the recipe and adjusted the flavoring a bit. I tend to prefer almonds over hazelnuts and just happened to have a 5 pound bag of them from a recent bulk order.

The real adventure in preparing this recipe was blanching the almonds. I’ve never done that before. I usually purchase blanched nuts (expensive) or use plain almonds in their skins (rustic and/or lazy).

Blanching was super easy. You just boil the nuts a few minutes in water to which has been added some baking soda. The water will turn black, but do not be afraid. Drain and rinse the nuts in cold water, then put them in a tea towel and rub. The skins come off with little effort at all. Easy as can be.

These blanched almonds are then toasted in the oven for about 15 minutes to bring our the wonderful flavor. Cool, chop and proceed with your recipe.

Other modifications I made include using 1 teaspoon of almond extract instead of brandy, and cutting back on the sugar by a few tablespoons. The recipe does not call for a chocolate garnish, but I love chocolate dipped biscotti — especially when the coating melts into a cup of hot coffee.  To coat my biscotti, I melted white chocolate with a bit of heavy cream and almond extract. I added a dark chocolate drizzle for contrast.

To get the recipe, visit our two hosts for today: Jodi of Homemade and Wholesome and Katrina of Baking and Boys. Visit again in two weeks for the next recipe from Baking with Julia.