Orange & Pistachio Biscotti

Add the 130 g brown sugar and orange zest to a large bowl and use your fingertips to rub the zest into the sugar. This helps to release the oils from the zest.

Add the stick of melted, cooled butter and 2 eggs. Whisk until well-combined and smooth.

Add the 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract) and whisk to combine.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the 280 g GF flour, 1 tsp (or ½ tsp if GF flour already contains) xanthan gum, 1 tsp baking powder, and ½ tsp salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter-egg mixture and combine until a smooth dough forms.

Add the pistachios and mix well until evenly distributed.

Chill the dough for about 15 minutes to make it more manageable.

Preheat the oven to 350 F with a rack in the middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Transfer the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a rough log then transfer onto the baking sheet.

Use your hands or the parchment paper to shape the dough into an approximately 14 x 3 ½ x ¾ in log.

Bake the log at 350 F for 28-30 minutes or until evenly golden brown in color, fully baked through, and hard to the touch.

Remove the biscotti log from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 20-25 minutes, or until lukewarm to the touch. If you slice it too soon, it will be too fragile and crumble as you cut.

Reduce oven temperature to 265 F.

Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the biscotti log into about 2/4 in thick slices. You should get around 20 biscotti in total.

Arrange the sliced biscotti (cut sides down) on the lined baking sheet.

Bake at 265 F for 40 minutes, flipping the biscotti over halfway through. Once they are finished baking, transfer them immediately to a wire rack to cool completely. Cooling them on the baking sheet would cause condensation and a undesirable cookie structure.