Orange & Pistachio Biscotti
These biscotti take a few steps to make but the end result is a delicate, beautifully flavorful cookie that goes perfectly with tea or coffee.
Ingredients
- 130 g light brown sugar (½ + 2 ½ tbsp)
- 2 oranges (zested)
- 113 g butter (1 stick)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
- 280 g plain gluten-free flour blend (2 ⅓ cups)
- 1 tsp xanthan gum (if your GF flour already contains xanthan gum, add only ½ tsp)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 125 g whole raw pistachios (1 cup)
Instructions
- 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.