Image: Charlotte Griffiths
Crisp and crunchy or dip and funky, biscotti are the perfect partner for coffee, whether it’s hot and frothy, or cool as ice. Alex Rushmer helps you make, bake and enjoy with this latest recipe
Where a cup of tea cries out for a Hobnob, there is no better partner for a cup of coffee than these crunchy delights. The flavour combinations are almost limitless but nuts, spices and chocolate are all excellent choices.
And with coffee being such a versatile flavour in itself, you’ll struggle to come up with a combination that doesn’t work – as long as you keep the ratio of fat, sugar, flour and eggs the same – feel free to experiment to your heart’s content.
Ingredients
180g caster sugar
60g unsalted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
4 medium-sized eggs
80g cocoa powder
500g plain flour
Pinch salt
6g baking powder
100g blanched almonds
Step-by-Step
Pre-heat the oven to 160°C.
Cream together the sugar, butter and vanilla in a stand mixer using the paddle attachment. Add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each to combine before adding the next.
Sieve the flower, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together then gradually add this to the wet ingredients. Mix for another 2-3 minutes until the mixture comes together into a workable dough.
Add the almonds and mix through.
Tip the mix out onto a floured surface, divide into two pieces then roll into a sausage shape about 25cm in length with a diameter of about 5cm.
Place onto a lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, allow to cool then cut into slices of about 1cm thickness.
Put these back onto the baking tray and cook for a further 15 minutes until the biscotti are crunchy. Allow to cool then store in an airtight container.