Crunchy and sweet, these almond biscotti are perfect for dipping in a warm drink. Biscotti are twice-baked cookies that are common in Italy and a favorite morning pairing for your coffee.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 325° degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until smooth and homogenous.
Add both eggs along with the almond extract and vanilla extract. Use the hand mixer to beat in these ingredients until they are fully incorporated with the creamed butter.
On a low speed, whisk in the flour and baking powder until no dry pockets of flour remain in the dough.
Use a spatula to fold in the almond pieces until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
Divide the dough into two large balls. Form each ball into a log about 7x4 inches in size and add to the parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake the dough for 35 minutes.
Remove the logs from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes but keep the oven on. After the logs have cooled for 4-5 minutes, use a serrated knife to cut them at a diagonal pieces about ½ inch thick.
Turn the slices onto their sides and bake for an additional 15 minutes, flipping them halfway through.
Remove the pan from the oven and allow the biscotti to cool for an additional five minutes before removing them from the baking sheet.
Serve, and enjoy!
Notes
You do not want to work the cookie dough too much when forming the logs, otherwise the butter will get too soft, and the logs may spread more than they are intended to during the baking process. They do not need to be perfectly shaped; a very roughly shaped log will work just fine.
I like to add a bit of almond extract to elevate the flavor of the almonds. The vanilla helps balance the almond extract, so the biscotti does not give off notes of cherry, as is typical with things made with almond extract.
You can store the biscotti on the counter in an airtight container for up to 6 days before it will begin to get stale.
If you only half whole almonds, simply through them in a blender and pulse gently until you have coarse pieces of almond.
Flipping the biscotti half-way through the second bake ensures that both sides cook evenly so you have a nice crunch throughout the whole piece of biscotti.