My friend Steven Barclay brought me some biscotti from Della Fattoria bakery in Sonoma County, California. I loved them so much that I called the owner, Kathleen Weber, to ask if she would share the recipe with me. There is something about the tender biscotti, sweet-tart dried cherries, and savory pistachios that makes this my favorite biscotti ever!
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr |
| Active: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 25 to 30 biscotti |
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature, one separated
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 11/3 cups almond meal or almond flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/2 cup whole dried cherries
- Turbinado sugar, such as Sugar in the Raw
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cinnamon on medium speed for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the 2 whole eggs, the egg yolk (reserve the egg white), and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, almond meal, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry mixture to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing only until combined. Scrape down the bowl and beater and make sure all the ingredients are combined. Stir in the pistachios and cherries.
- Roll the dough into a ball on a well-floured board and cut in half. With floured hands, roll each piece into a cylinder about 11 inches long by 2 inches in diameter and place them 3 inches apart on the prepared sheet pan.
- Place the reserved egg white in a bowl and beat with a whisk for 15 seconds. Brush the logs with the egg white (save the rest!) and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon of turbinado sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, until lightly browned (the logs will be soft). Cool for 30 minutes.
- Turn the oven down to 275 degrees F. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti 1/2 inch thick at a full 45-degree angle. Place the slices cut-side up on the prepared sheet pans. Brush them with the egg white and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, turning each slice once, until browned and fully baked. Transfer to a baking rack to cool.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 27.5 servings |
| Calories | 261 |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 36 mg |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 27.5 servings |
| Calories | 261 |
| Total Fat | 14 g |
| Saturated Fat | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Protein | 6 g |
| Cholesterol | 36 mg |
| Sodium | 60 mg |
Reviews
Outstanding! Made these for holiday gifts and the got rave reviews! Only Chang I would make is to use less of the turbinado sugar. A little too sweet for my taste.
I have made this recipe many times. I followed the recipe exactly. Yes I did use the amount of almond flour as she wrote it. It’s not a lot. She doesn’t use almond extract so it gives a beautiful subtle almond flavor and makes the biscotti quite light with a beautiful crumb when you take a bite. Very flavor and delicious! I have also substituted cranberries for cherries and even used apricots! They are all delicious! Thanks again Ina for an awesome recipe!!!
Is this 1-1/3 cups almond flour, or 1/3 cup? 1-1/3 seems like an awful lot, with 3 cups of AP flour so I’m assuming it’s a typo. I’m going to give it a try using just 1/3 – wish me luck!
This is the 3 rd time I’ve tried to make these and every time I find the dough very difficult to get into a ball . The mixture is so dry despite decreasing the flour by a 1/4 c and or adding more few tablespoons of butter. Help !
NiNi Roz
This was my first time making biscotti, and they are fabulous! I had to hide them in the freezer after my husband ate half of them in one day!! I love Ina’s recipes—they ALWAYS come out wonderfully.
This has been my go to recipe since March. I have made it numerous times following Ina’s recipe and sometimes substituted dried cranberries for cherries. I haven’t bothered chilling dough. Spreading is normal with biscotti dough. Also no problem leaving overnight after first bake if you run out of time.
I love this recipe! I have made them many times and everyone enjoys them. The only tweak I make is to substitute chocolate chips for the pistachios as I love the combination of cherries and chocolate. I also chill the dough about 30 minutes before baking which helps to prevent spreading.
I’ve made this several times now, and it’s a huge hit with my family and guests (including my 4 year olds!). They’re not too hard so they can be eaten even without dipping (though they’re better that way), and they keep incredibly well. The only tweak I make is to chill the dough for at least 30 minutes after forming the logs to stop them from spreading too much. Otherwise, I love it exactly as written!