But unlike a soft custardy pie, these cookies are what good biscotti should be—crispy and crunchy. They’re great for dipping into coffee, or eating on their own. You can make these biscotti plain, or adorn them with sweetened dried cranberries and pecans or walnuts. Both work, though the plain version will be a bit crispier.
A Few Helpful Tips About Making Biscotti
Don’t attempt to make biscotti on a humid day; the cookies will absorb too much of the air’s moisture and won’t be crispy.The dough should be a bit wet and sticky. Add flour to the clean surface you are using to shape the dough and flour your hands well. That should help add just enough flour to the dough to make it easy to work with. If for some reason the dough is on the dry side, knead it by hand a few times and if it is still too dry, add water, a teaspoon at a time.Space the logs apart on the baking sheet, they will spread.Use a serrated knife like a bread knife to cut the biscotti. But don’t wait too long after you take it out of the oven after the first bake or it will be too hard to cut!Bake longer for more crunch: If you want your biscotti to be crunchier, just keep them longer in the oven during the second bake.
This recipe is a completely revised recipe from one originally published here in 2007. I always had issues with that recipe (too cakey, not enough flavor), and several readers did as well. If you would like the original recipe you can still find it here. If you don’t have molasses, sub out the white sugar and the molasses with one cup (packed) of brown sugar. If adding dried cranberries or toasted chopped nuts, stir them in now. Sprinkle a clean surface with about 1/4 cup of flour. Scoop the dough onto the floured surface. Flour your hands and lightly knead the dough a few times. Divide the dough in half. Form the dough into 2 long logs, each about 10-11 inches long. Transfer the logs onto the lined baking sheet and use your fingers to flatten them into long rectangles. The loaves should be relatively flat, about 10 to 11 inches long, about 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches wide, and about 1/2-inch high. Lay the cookies cut side down on baking sheets. Bake for 15-20 minutes more, turning the cookies over halfway through the cooking. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
