Biscotti for breakfast, or for a treat at lunch, or for a snack in the afternoon, or in the evening… truth be told, this is a welcome treat anytime – at home or on a camping trip.
Biscotti was first introduced to our camping menu by my brother-in-law. He had been making biscotti at home for years. I could always imagine Saturday mornings at their house, with coffee, the newspaper and biscotti. Because of their dense texture they survive well in a food barrel making them the perfect camping treat.
Dry ingredients:
Sift into a large bowl:
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
4 teaspoons espresso powder
pinch of salt
Add & stir into bowl:
2 cups of whole almonds
Wet ingredients:
In a medium size bowl combine:
2 cups of sugar
2/3 cup grape seed oil (or canola oil)
6 large eggs
Zest of an orange (you can also use lime or lemon)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Whisk until smooth and then add to dry ingredients.
Stir and blend well.
The mixture will be very heavy and seem sticky so use a strong wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Use baking sheets with sides.
Divide dough into 4 and place two cookies on each baking sheet leaving a couple of inches all around so the cookie can spread as it bakes. Shape the dough into an oval shape with spatula. You can use your hands to shape the dough but oil them first or you will be covered with dough.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown and firm in the center. Rotate the pans in the oven after 15 minutes to help them bake evenly.
Remove the trays from oven and let stand for 20 minutes.
Second Bake
Carefully remove the cookies from the parchment paper and place on a cutting board. With a large serrated knife cut the cookies crosswise using one full cut into whatever size biscotti you would like.
Place the cut cookies back on the parchment covered baking sheets, laying flat on their sides, leaving some space between them. Bake a second time at 325 degrees F. for 20 more minutes or until the biscotti is golden brown & crisp. You can rotate the pans half way again, just to make sure.
Once cool vacuum seal them, or place them in a Ziploc. You can freeze them until you are ready to eat them. You can use some cardboard – old milk containers work great. This is just an added layer of protection.