Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti

Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti are crunchy, nutty, sweet Italian cookie bliss. Twice-baked and perfect for dunking into a hot cup of coffee or tea, these are surprisingly easy and fun to make at home.

Biscotti are one of life’s simple pleasures. Lightly sweet, crisp cookies that are perfectly appropriate with afternoon tea or morning coffee, they’re easy to love.

If you haven’t made biscotti at home, it might seem intimidating, but I promise they’re very do-able, even for a novice baker. You’ll love them because they require:

• No specialty pans or equipment.
• Not too much hands-on time.
• No unique or hard-to-find ingredients.

Biscotti come in all flavors — not all adorned with extra drizzles or drips of chocolate and sprinkles. That said, these chocolate-dipped almond biscotti are our long-time stand-by, and I know you’ll love them, too.

What are biscotti?

Biscotti are traditional Italian cookies. The dough is shaped into rectangular logs, baked, cooled slightly, and baked again into crisp slices to achieve a signature shape. Italians use the word “biscotti” to describe various types of cookies, and the word “cantucci” to describe the particular cookie Americans think of as biscotti — long, crisp, twice-baked, and perfect for dunking into coffee, tea, or cocoa.

Another key element of traditional Italian biscotti? Eggs are the only wet ingredient! Some American recipes add a smidge of oil or butter. Nothing wrong with that, to be sure, but the eggs hold everything together perfectly if the ratio of other ingredients is correct, and we love the authentic flavor of these just as they are.

How do you make almond biscotti?

For the recipe, you’ll start with genuine, whole almonds. Blitz a few in the bowl of a food processor until they are crumbly, then add the other dry ingredients and pulse to combine.

Separately, combine eggs, sugar, and a bit of vanilla and use an electric mixer to blitz those on high speed until they come together into a thick, fluffy mixture.

Beat in the dry ingredients, then stir in more whole almonds by hand.

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Pro tip: If you want to add even more flavor, toast the almonds as a first step. You can spread them out on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes at 350, or toast very lightly in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes. Either way, just watch carefully to ensure they don’t scorch or blacken.

After the dough comes together, scrape it out in two portions onto parchment or silicone baking mats. Shape each portion into a thick rectangle, as shown below. It will be very sticky, so use a rubber spatula or wrap your hand in another piece of parchment to gently press and mold the logs into shape.

Bake the logs, let cool slightly, then slice each cross-wise to get the signature long, thin cookies. Lay those out, cut side down, on the same baking sheet, and bake once again until fragrant and crisp.

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Dunking in chocolate is optional, but highly recommended — it’s so good! I use Ghirardelli dark chocolate melting wafers for this. So easy and the results are really good. Although you can buy them on Amazon, they’re usually cheaper if you can find them in the baking aisle at your local grocery store.

Gifting ideas

These biscotti make beautiful gifts from the kitchen, any time of year but especially for the holidays. Wrap up a few in cellophane, tie with some pretty ribbon, and share with neighbors, friends, teachers, and anyone else on your list.

Pair with a jar of homemade French hot cocoa mix if you really want to impress!

Storage and freezing tips

Biscotti keep well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

You can also freeze biscotti for up to 3 months — so they are a great way to get ahead on holiday baking. However, and this is important, freeze the baked biscotti without the chocolate coating. You can dip in chocolate after defrosting the cookies, if desired.

If you try these Chocolate-Dipped Almond Biscotti, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. I love hearing how recipes turn out in your kitchen, and it helps other readers, too.

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This post was originally published January 3, 2017, and has been updated with new photos and more helpful tips and tricks.