Lemon Almond Biscotti

These Lemon Almond Biscotti are mildly scented with lemon and filled with chopped almonds. 

They are a perfect summer accompaniment to fresh fruit. This biscotti is also wonderful when crumbled and layered with whipped cream and berries. It's perfect for a lively, dinner-party type dessert.

Making biscotti may look like a challenge, but if you can shape a meatloaf and slice a loaf of bread then you've got all the skills you need to make delicious and gorgeous biscotti.

More on the making of Biscotti.

LEMON ALMOND BISCOTTI recipe

Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
• 2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Grated rind of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
• 3/4 to 1 1/4 teaspoons almond extract, to taste*
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 to 3 tablespoons (1 to 1 1/2 ounces) freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups (8 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

*3/4 teaspoon will give you the merest hint of almond; if you like that flavor, use the greater amount of extract.

Directions:

1. Position one of your oven racks in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a non-stick baking liner and set aside.
2. In a medium sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, lemon rind, almond extract, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Then Beat in the lemon juice and eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled.
3. By hand, mix in the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky, cut in the almonds until evenly distributed
4. Plop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape it into a log that’s about 13" long x 3" wide x 3⁄4" thick. Straighten the log and smooth its top and sides; a wet spatula or wet bowl scraper works well here.
5. Place the baking sheet on the center rack of your oven and bake for about 25 minutes.
6. Remove it from the oven, place the baking sheet on a wire rack and allow the logs to cool for 10-15 minutes. Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
7. Using a spray bottle filled with room-temperature water, lightly but thoroughly spritz the log, making sure to cover the sides as well as the top. Softening the crust just this little bit will make slicing the biscotti much easier.
8. Wait another 5 minutes, and then use a serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 1⁄2" slices. As you’re slicing, be sure to cut straight up and down, perpendicular to the pan; if you cut unevenly, biscotti may be thicker at the top than the bottom, and they’ll topple over during their second bake.
9. Return biscotti to baking sheet. Placing the on their bottom Return the biscotti to the oven and bake them for 30 to 35 minutes, till they feel very dry and begin to turn golden around the edges.
10. Remove from baking sheet and place on a wire rack and allow cool completely.

Adapted from the Lemon Almond Biscotti recipe provided by kingarthurflour.com