Honey Lemon Biscotti with Pistachios

I seem to be really bad at writing a blog. Either that or it's the fact that my life has been pretty busy with starting a full-time job and little to no time left for cooking and baking that has kept me from posting. As you might guess, it’s the latter.

Lucikly, I have a month off at the moment in between two apprenticeships and it allowed me to get back on the wagon again.

I already introduced you to Cynthia Barcomi and her recipes a while ago. She published a new cookbook, called „Cookies“ earlier this year and I’ve been dying to get my hands on these recipes. One recipe that instantly intrigued me was this one for Honey Lemon Biscotti with Pitachios. Bicotti or Cantuccini as they’re often called as well, are easy to make and serve as great presents because they are great to pack and send and quite robust. Mine will be part of a gift to my boyfriend’s dad on his birthday.

Don't let the steps fool you. This recipe is super easy and fool-proof. You can't go wrong. 

Here it is:

100g (3.5 oz) pistachios, peeled

280g (9.8 oz; a little less than 2 cups) all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

50ml (1/4 cup) mild olive oil (search for those labeled "mild", not "extra vergine")

85g (3 oz; good 1/3 cup) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (60g; 2.1 oz) honey

1) Preheat the oven to 175°C (°F). Line a tray with a baking sheet. Roast the pistachios in the oven for 6 minutes, then set aside to cool.

2) In a bowl, mix the flour,  baking powder, baking soda and salt. Roughly chop the pistachios.

3) In a second bowl, using a hand mixer or kitchen machine, mix the sugar, olive oil  and lemon zest. Add the eggs, one at a time, until well combined. Add the vanilla extract and honey and mix again until combined.

4) Mix dry and wet ingredients until combined. Add the pistachios and stir until evenly distributed.

5) Divide the dough into three parts. Put them on the baking sheet horizontally and spread into a rectangular loaf of ca. 22 x 4 cm using your (wet) hands.

6) Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden. Leave to cool on the tray.

7) Reduce oven temperature to 160°C (°F). Once cooled so you can handle the loafs, cut them into 1cm (1/2 inch) slices. Put the slices cut-side up on the baking tray.

8) Bake for 8 minutes, then turn the biscotti and bake the other side for 8 more minutes until golden.

9) Leave on the tray to cool.

Yield: about 45 biscotti

Active preparation time: 20 minutes

total preparation time: 1 hour

And this is how mine turned out:

I had to try one biscotti straight from the oven – and some crumbs while cutting. These biscotti have a ton of bright lemon flavour, a hint of sweetness from the honey and added crunch from the pistachios. The flavour is really complex and surprising. I just love these. Imagine them with a cup of perfect foamy cappucino on the side for dunking while sunshine is shining through your windows – perfection.

Have fun trying and let these biscotti brighten your day!