Biscotti

PJ Hamel’s American-style vanilla biscotti are light and crunchy. Their dough is baked as logs, sliced into batons and baked again to dry and crisp each piece.

Butter, sugar, salt, vanilla, optional almond extract and baking powder are beaten smooth and creamy. Eggs follow, then flour is stirred in gently to make a sticky dough.

The dough is divided into two logs and smoothed with a wet spatula or scraper. A sprinkle of coarse sparkling sugar is optional before the first bake.

The baked logs are lightly spritzed with water to soften the crust for slicing. They rest briefly, then are cut straight across or diagonally into individual biscotti.

The slices stand on their edges for a second bake until dry and beginning to turn golden. They continue to dry while cooling on a rack; Hamel’s notes describe other flavours and additions as variations on this vanilla version.