Almond & Orange Biscotti
Have you ever tried a rusk? They are a South African biscuit and one of SA`s absolute favourite things. They look like a dog biscuit, I kid you not, and they are absolutely rock hard, to the point that they are almost impossible to eat unless dipped in tea or coffee. Sounds appetising right? Every time we go to South Africa, SA returns home to London with half a suit case full of rusks. Each Saturday and Sunday morning he rations out just one rusk for breakfast and threatens physical harm to anyone who even contemplates stealing one from the jar.
Call me a chicken, but I have yet to attempt to make rusks, it would be like making homemade wine for a world class sommelier, my boyfriend knows what he’s talking about. Instead I decided to make biscottis which are my favourite thing to dip into my morning coffee.
When it comes to making biscottis there are two key factors that can make or break a batch, 1) flavour and 2) crunch. These biscotti’s are packed with flavour from the almond extract, orange zest and chunks of toasted almonds. Unfortunately the crunch is a lot harder to accomplish when using almond flour which creates a very moist dough. It took me quite a few batches of crumbly biscottis before I figured out the special formula. It all comes down to a long, slow bake which requires time and patience but its well worth it in the end. These almond & orange biscottis last for a week in a sealed container and for over a month in the freezer. I love having some ready to eat for those cold afternoons spent curled up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book.
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Almond & Orange Biscotti
Ingredients
- 4 cups almond flour
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup coconut oil
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 1 tbsp orange zest
- 3/4 cup toasted almonds roughly chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
- In a mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients and mix until well combined
- On a parchment paper lined baked sheet, form the dough into two long flat logs approximately 3/4 inch thick
- Bake the logs for 20 minutes until they have turned golden in colour. Remove from oven and allow to cool
- Slice each log into 1 inch thick strips and lay flat on their side on the baking sheet
- Return the baking sheet back to the oven and cook for 15 minutes
- After 15 minutes lower the temperature to 125 degrees and flip the biscotti's. Bake them for 35-40 minutes at 125 degrees. If they begin to darken in colour stand them up. Once they are hard and dry they are ready. Remove from the oven and store in an airtight container for a week or for over a month in the freezer.
Hello!
My oven seems to be very strong since my biscottis burnt through the second baking (they had to be at 175°C for 15 minutes right?). For the third baking I put them at 100°C since they weren’t completely dried, i dont know how they will come out.
Is it possible to make this biscotti without eggs?
Tried this recipe for the first time. OMG, this is gorgeous 😛 I haven’t had biscuits in years and this is just perfect. Thank you.
Do you think I cut put fresh, chopped cranberries in this recipe? It may have to cook longer to dry out, but do you think it will work?
How many biscotti’s come out of this batch?
It makes between 16 and 20 biscotti’s depending on how thick they are cut
Im baking these right now. Just realized my oven won’t do 125 degrees. Display is digital. My choices are 170 or 100. Nothing in between. Any suggestions?
Thats not a problem at all! I just want to confirm you are using celsius and not fahrenheit? For the second stage the key is to bake them at a low temperature for as a long time to really dry them out so I would recommend cooking them at 100 degrees celsius for about an hour – 1h 15 minutes (its pretty hard to overcook these as long as you don’t burn them). Let me know how it goes!
I am South African and can tell you: This biscotti is excellent! It is the best paleo rusk I’ve come across.
Haha I know how seriously South Africans take their rusks so this is one of the nicest compliments I have ever received! I’m so happy you liked them!
I LOVE biscotti. Never tried an almond or orange flavoured version before though, this is definitely something I need to try – perfect for Christmas too!
Hi Thalia, the almond and orange combination is delicious together but lemon could also be a great citrus alternative. These are great addition to any Christmas gift basket.
Ive tried making grain free biscotti in the past but they always end up being soft and crumbly. I made these biscotti last night and am so happy to report they were the best grain free biscotti i have ever tasted. So crunchy, perfect for dipping in tea!