I love all kinds of Biscotti, but knowing the Lemon Obsession I have, I knew I had to make these Lemon Almond Biscotti recipe from my friends at King Arthur Flour. Italian cookies are really my weakness. They’re not overly sweet, and most are perfect for any time of day. Even breakfast! I searched for years for a recipe for Frosted Lemon Anginetti Cookies that would mimic those at my favorite Italian bakery. They are called Lemon Totos at the bakery. I finally found a recipe that was close if not better. Sometimes it takes years to find the perfect recipe!
I found this recipe without even looking. And I know its as much of a keeper as is my Lemon Anginetti Cookie recipe. And it’s very similar. Not too sweet, and that wonderful lemon flavor, with the perfect balance of almond. I even think they would be excellent with pistachios in them. Just don’t be like me and burn your cookies on the second bake, because you were on the computer and not paying attention. That only leads to re-making the recipe. Yes, they were that good!
Like the Lemon Anginetti cookies, you can glaze them or not. It just depends how sweet you like things. Either way, they’re a keeper.
I did use the European Lemon Zest which added a subtle lemon flavor to these cookies. This lemon zest would be excellent to sprinkle on top of cupcakes, cookies, etc as well.
I used lemon juice powder in the glaze. What a difference between using fresh lemon juice! Fresh lemon juice makes the icing have a “tin” taste, and can be very offensive. As the Lemon Juice Powder is pretty potent, it has a smoother and brighter lemon flavor.
I didn’t use the Glazing Sugar. I wish I had. It was at my office and I didn’t feel like driving to go get it. So I used regular confectioner’s sugar. The only problem is, the glaze tends to “sink in” and although it taste’s pretty good, it doesn’t show very well. I even tried coloring the icing yellow to make it stand out, but still not much better. The Glazing Sugar dries firm, fast and shiny, and looks white when it dries. I will definitely use it next time!
*European Lemon Zest is a lightly sweetened, very finely grated, unsulphured peel that is perfect in these cookies.
** Glazing Sugar is specially formulated to dry firm, fast and glossy.
***Lemon Juice Powder is a concentrated lemon powder for icings and baked goods.
All three above are available along with other great King Arthur Flour products in my blog store right here on this blog, or at shopafoodieaffair.com.
Lemon Almond Biscotti
- Total Time: 40 mins
Description
A delicious balance of lemon and almond, these cookies are perfect for any celebration, or just relaxing with a cup of tea.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons (3 ounces) butter
- 2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon European Lemon Zest* or grated rind of 1 medium lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- Glaze:
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) confectioners’ or glazing sugar**
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice powder***
- 2 to 3 teaspoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) one large (about 18″ x 13″) baking sheet.
- In a medium-sized bowl, beat the butter, sugar, salt, lemon rind, almond extract, and baking powder until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the lemon juice and eggs; the batter may look slightly curdled. At low speed of your mixer, add the flour, stirring until smooth; the dough will be sticky.
- 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.
- Bake the dough for 25 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and allow it to cool on the pan anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes.Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
- 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.
- Wait another 5 minutes, 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.
- Set the biscotti on edge on the prepared baking sheet. Return the biscotti to the oven, and bake them for 30 to 35 minutes, till they feel very dry and are beginning to turn golden around the edges.
- Remove the biscotti from the oven, and transfer them to a rack to cool.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Cookie
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