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Sliced espresso almond biscotti fanned on a marble board with loose almonds and a small espresso cup, morning light.

Espresso Almond Biscotti: Crisp, Twice-Baked Cookies

A classic twice-baked Italian cookie, dense and dry with toasted almond crunch and a strong coffee kick from espresso powder.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings: 24 biscotti
Course: Baking
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 110
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dough
  • 300 g all-purpose flour
  • 165 g granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
  • 2 tbsp instant espresso powder
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 150 g whole almonds toasted and roughly chopped
Finishing
  • 1 egg white lightly beaten, for egg wash
  • 100 g dark chocolate optional, melted, for dipping

Method
 

Make the Dough
  1. Heat the oven to 175 C / 350 F. Line a sheet pan 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch with parchment paper.
  2. Spread the almonds on the pan and toast for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant. Let cool, then roughly chop.
  3. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder together in a large mixing bowl.
  4. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla extract. Pour into the dry ingredients and stir until a stiff, sticky dough forms. Fold in the chopped almonds.
Shape and First Bake
  1. Turn the dough onto the lined sheet pan and divide in half. With floured hands, shape each half into a log about 25 cm / 10 inch long and 6 cm / 2.5 inch wide, spacing the logs at least 8 cm / 3 inch apart.
  2. Brush the tops and sides of each log with the beaten egg white.
  3. Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until the logs are firm to the touch and lightly golden. Cool on the pan for 15 minutes, until just warm, not hot.
Slice and Second Bake
  1. Reduce the oven to 150 C / 300 F. Using a serrated knife, slice each log on a diagonal into 1.5 cm / 0.6 inch thick slices.
  2. Lay the slices cut side down on the sheet pan. Bake for 10 minutes, flip, then bake another 10 minutes, until dry and golden at the edges.
  3. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely, the biscotti crisp up fully as they cool.
Finish (Optional)
  1. Melt the dark chocolate and dip one end of each cooled biscotto. Set on parchment until the chocolate hardens, about 20 minutes.

Notes

  • Slice logs while just warm, not hot, for clean cuts.
  • Toast almonds first, raw nuts taste flat after two bakes.
  • Use a serrated knife, a straight blade crushes the slices.
  • Cool completely on a rack before sealing in a tin.