13 Mar Almond Biscotti

Posted at 07:41h in Recipes, Sweet by Elizabeth Peddey 17 Comments

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Recipes, Sweet

Almond Biscotti

13 March 2023

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PREP TIME: 15 mins - Cook Time: 30 mins - Yield: 18 Biscotti

The very talented Pia Gava brought these traditional Italian bisciotti to us. They are simple to make, look wonderful and are particularly delicious to eat.

I prefer them as the recipe suggests but if you need to make them gluten free - simply omit the flour and add an extra 65 g almond meal to the mix.

The technique of coating your hands with olive oil to form the biscotti was taught to me by Pia. It is a game changer in shaping the biscuits in your hands.

You do not need any electrical equipment to make these so it is a great dish for children who will probably enjoy the tactile experience, and the effects of decoration, not to mention the delight of removing these tasty, pretty morsels from the oven.

TIP: This recipe is one of those that is useful for using up extra egg whites. If you have a jar of egg whites in your fridge but are not sure how many egg whites you actually have - simple weigh them. - 1 egg white weighs about 30g.

ingredients

200 g Almond Meal

200 g Caster Sugar

65 g Plain Flour

1 Orange

1 teaspoon Vanilla

3 Egg Whites

Pinch of Salt

18 Blanched almonds or glace cherries

Olive Oil or Canola Oil for your hands

Icing Sugar for dusting

equipment

Digital Scales

Citrus Zester

1 - 2 large Baking Trays with Baking Paper or a Silicone Sheet

2 Mixing Bowls

Mixing fork or Wooden Spoon

Whisk

2 Shallow Bowls

2 Tablespoons

Measuring Spoons

Sifter or wire strainer for sifting the icing sugar

Baking racks

Spatula or palette knife

METHOD

1. Prep

Preheat the oven to 160c.

Line the baking trays with a silicone sheet or sheet of baking paper

Zest the orange

Separate the eggs. Put the yolks aside - you will not be using these.

TIP: Store the egg yolks in the fridge and use for making pasta dough or mayonnaise.

Pour 1/4 cup oil into the first shallow bowl

Sift 1 cup of icing sugar into the second shallow bowl.

2. Prepare the Mixture

Combine the almond meal, sugar and flour in the first bowl.

In the second bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt, until foaming..

Add the vanilla and orange zest to the egg white.

Combine the egg mixture with the almond meal mixture.

Dampen your hands under running water and knead the mixture well.

3. Assembly

Place your hands palms down into the bowl of oil.

With oily hands, shape the mixture into balls, about the size of a walnut. You can use 2 tablespoons to shape the balls.

Take care to not make them too big - they are too much when oversized.

Roll the balls in the icing sugar, lightly coating them with the sugar.

Arrange the sugar coated balls on the baking sheet - about 2 - 3 cm apart.
Flatten each ball slightly with your thumb and place a cherry or almond on top.

4. Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 - 30 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

Remove from the oven and place the baking tray on top of the baking racks and stand for 5 - 10 minutes.

5. To Serve

Transfer from the baking tray to a serving dish, using a spatula or palette knife.

6. To Store

Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

source

Recipe adapted by Elizabeth Peddey from recipe by Pia Gava.

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