I love a good morning coffee cookie… and no, I don’t mean coffee-flavored cookie (though I love those too). I mean a dunkable, crunchy cookie that softens ever so slightly after a quick dip in a hot cup of coffee, offering the perfect texture and good mouth-feel (…do people even say mouth-feel anymore?).

Enter biscotti. Crunchy lightly spiced delights that meet all my criteria for a good coffee cookie. Some biscotti with a fresh cup of coffee is a real treat and one I highly recommend experiencing.

What makes biscotti so crunchy?

Biscotti get their famous crunch from a double-bake process. First you shape some short loaves with the dough and bake them. Then, you let them cool for about 20-25 minutes before taking a serrated knife and slicing them into the traditional biscotti shape you know and love. From there, pop them back into the oven for that second bake until they are a little more golden in color and firm to the touch.

It’s important they have sufficient time to cool before slicing so they don’t fall apart when you run your knife through them. If not, you’ll go from cookies to crumbs. Delicious crumbs, but crumbs none the less.

How do I store biscotti?

Honestly, because biscotti are so crunchy, they are easy to store. I’d recommend an air-tight container or cookie jar (with a lid that seals!). These should keep for a couple of weeks in these conditions, but your mileage may vary. If they become too hard or too soft, odds are it’s time to make a new, fresh batch.

My gift to you: Grandma’s almond biscotti recipe

When I saw my grandmother had an almond biscotti recipe in her recipe archives, I knew I had to try to replicate it. In true Grandma Velma fashion, her recipe was missing some key pieces of information, so I had to do a little trial and error to fill in the gaps. I am happy to say we cracked the code so I can share it with you. Consider it my early Christmas gift to you - and one that you can regift in your Christmas cookie box this year. Maybe paired with some tea time tassies or grandma cookies, perhaps?

Almond Biscotti | An Italian Treat

By Bake Gia Bake
From my grandmother’s recipe archives comes a classic and beloved Italian cookie that can be dunked in your morning coffee (oppure “caffè” se sei italiano!) or added to a show stopping holiday cookie platter. These cookies can be versatile. Add your favorite combinations of dried fruit and nuts for different flavor profiles.
Prep time: 15 minutes | Cook time: 45-50 minutes | Total time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Yield: 24-28 cookies (slight variation based on size of slices)

Ingredients

100 grams (1/2 cup) shortening
180 grams (3/4 cup) granulated sugar
3 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 drops anise oil OR 2 teaspoons of ground star anise
450 grams (3 cups) flour
10 grams (2 teaspoons) baking powder
165 grams (1 1/4 cups) slivered almonds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325Fº and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Cream the shortening, granulated sugar, eggs, salt, almond extract, vanilla extract, and anise oil (or ground anise) together on medium-high speed until light in color and well combined, about 4-5 minutes.
Sift together flour and baking powder.
Slowly mix floured mixture into creamed mixture with slivered almonds until thoroughly blended.
Shape dough into long narrow loaves about 1 inch thick by 1 inch wide, and place them 3 inches apart on a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 325ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
With a serrated knife, slice the loaves along the width to create your biscottis. Lie each biscotti back the baking sheet, leaving a little bit of room between each for even cooking.
Put your biscotti slices back in the oven for 20 minutes to brown and get crunchy.
Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy!