Recipes > Almond Anise Biscotti | Gluten-Free

Details
- Serves: 15 biscotti
- Active Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
- Views: 4,555
- Success Rating: 0% (?)
Steps
Step 1: Preparing & Baking the Biscotti | First Bake

- 2 tbsp ground anise seed
- 6 oz almonds, toasted and cooled
- 1 1/4 cups (6 1/2 oz) gluten-free flour
- 1 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 5 tbsp neutral vegetable oil.
- 7 tbsp pure maple syrup, Grade A
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 tsp almond extract
- 1/4 cup organic cane sugar, more or less for rolling the logs
Method
Place the anise seed in a small dry skillet over low heat. Toast, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or until lightly colored and very fragrant. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. When cool, place in a spice grinder or other small grinder and process until very fine. Note that the flavor of anise is quite strong in these biscotti — adjust as desired.
Place the toasted almonds in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process into a medium-fine meal.
*Note: For the gluten-free flour you can either make your own or you can use a store-bought brand, such as Bobs Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour. If the gluten-free baking mix you use does not contain xanthan or guar gum, whisk 3/4 tsp of either one into the flour.
Whisk, measure and sift together the flour, sugar and salt together into a medium mixing bowl. Add the reserved ground anise seeds and ground almonds, whisking to mix and aerate.
Place the oil into a small mixing bowl. Add the maple syrup along with the vanilla and almond extracts,whisking until emulsified. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture and stir with a silicone spatula until a soft dough forms and no traces of flour remain. A small piece of dough should hold together when squeezed. Press the dough together with the spatula and set aside to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.
To shape the biscotti logs, divide the dough in half using a knife or bench scraper. Dust a sheet of parchment paper with some of the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.Turn one piece of the dough out onto the sugar-coated parchment. Pat and push the dough into a log shape. Turn the dough over and repeat rolling, pressing and squeezing until the log is approximately 14-inches long x 1 1/2-inches thick. Repeat with the other piece of dough.
Enclose each log in a clean sheet of parchment paper (or plastic wrap) and press the dough a bit flatter, eliminating any cracks. Refrigerate for one hour before baking. At this point, the logs can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and frozen.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap the logs and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until firm and dry. Remove from the oven and place the sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Then, slide the logs, still on the parchment, off the pan and onto a wire rack to cool. To insure neat and even slicing, wrap the logs in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze for about 15 minutes or until well-chilled.
Letting the biscotti logs cool slightly is essential to prevent the biscotti from compressing together when cut. If the dough is not chilled, the slices will not be neat and clean.It is also important that you do not wait too long as the dough will start to harden and be difficult to cut.
Method
Before baking the biscotti a second time, they will need to be cut. To cut the biscotti, use a non-flexible serrated knife to cut the log, diagonally, into slices about 1/4- to 3/8-inch thick. When cutting the biscotti, use a gentle sawing motion to cut nice clean slices.
Place the biscotti cut-side down on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, place the baking sheet on a wire rack and let the biscotti cool on the pan. Check and bake longer if a dryer slice is desired. Note: How long the slices bake depends personal preference. The longer they cook, the crispier they will be.
Store, airtight, at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze, airtight, for up to 2 months.
Chef's Notes
- by Fran Costigan
- •
- November 3, 2016
Chocolate Dipped Biscotti Option:
- Dip one end of a chilled baked slice into melted chocolate, covering about a third. Allow the excess chocolate to drip off. Let the biscotti set on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
- If desired, sprinkle the chocolate before it sets with chopped almonds. Refrigerate until set.
- Another option is to dip the bottoms of chilled biscotti into melted chocolate. Allow to set, lying them on their sides on parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until set.
This is an easy recipe to scale up. Make a big batch at one time, bake some and freeze some.
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