How to make citrus biscotti

Citrus biscotti are a delicious anytime treat. Full of bright, citrus flavor, they are light and delicate. For a more decadent cookie, try my butter pecan biscotti.

Biscotti are the perfect treat alongside a cup of coffee or tea. They are made for dunking.

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Citrus Biscotti

These crunchy Italian cookies are one of my favorite treats. Biscotti are great for any special occasion or no occasion at all. They are just slightly sweet and are the perfect cookie for shipping to friends and family.

As much as I love chocolate, citrus will always win if there is a choice to be made. The citrus flavors in these cookies is amped up with zest from 4 fruits, a bit of juice and lemon extract. They are citrusy!

How to make biscotti

Making biscotti is really no different than making any other cookie, other than it gets baked twice.

This biscotti is loaded with a hefty amount of zest. I used a combination of lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit. A Microplane zester makes quick work of it.

If you don’t like quite as much zing in your cookies, you can go with two or three fruits instead of all of them. More isn’t always better, but in this case, it is. It’s like a flavor explosion and I’m all in.

Biscotti dough

Once you have your dough made, you’ll divide it in half and form it into rectangles. You might think “this is never going to turn into biscotti”, but it will.

The dough isn’t dry, which is what you’d expect. But when it bakes up, it turns into a beautiful, citrusy loaf that will become absolutely gorgeous biscotti.

After the first bake, you’ll need to let it cool for 10 – 15 minutes, or until you can comfortably handle it. Slice biscotti loaves into 12 pieces each and place them back on the pan for the second bake.

Pro Tip: If you want to make your biscotti extra crunchy, let them dry out in a warm oven with the door cracked open.

Slicing biscotti

The key to slicing biscotti without breaking them is a two-parter. First, you must be gentle. They will still be warm when you are slicing them.

Think about trying to pick up a hot cookie right out of the oven. It usually falls apart, doesn’t it? Same concept here, you need to let them cool enough to handle before trying to slice.

Secondly, the knife you use is really important. I use a thin, serrated blade that glides through the dough like butter.

One of the reasons I prefer this particular knife to other serrated knives is the blade. It is thinner than many other knives, which means it easily goes through whatever you’re slicing – in this case, delicate biscotti.

Another helpful tip is to avoid too much “sawing” through the cookie. Position the front of the blade where you want to start cutting and slice through in a smooth motion. Don’t apply too much downward pressure – let the knife do the work.

Place your completely cooled cookies back on the lined sheet pan to get their chocolatey drizzle.

Pour melted chocolate into a disposable piping bag. Snip the smallest bit of the tip off to make a very small opening for a fine drizzle, or larger for a thicker drizzle.

Leave the cookies on the tray for about 30 minutes for the chocolate to set before moving them. You can slide them into the fridge for 5 – 10 minutes if you’re in a rush, but don’t leave them too long. The refrigerator will make them soft instead of crunchy.

There you have it, friends! An easy, perfect for Spring cookie that’s a snap to make, is super delicious and earns bonus points for a chocolate drizzle.

More biscotti recipes

• Cranberry pistachio biscotti
• Gingerbread biscotti
• Almond biscotti with golden raisins and amaretto
• Chocolate mint biscotti

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Check out the prizes in my no bake chocolate cheesecake post!

Friday #SpringSweetsWeek Recipes

• Candied Kumquats by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Citrus Biscotti by Pook’s Pantry
• Citrus Rhubarb Custard Bars by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Coconut Macaroons by Books n’ Cooks
• Creme Egg Cake by Palatable Pastime
• Easy Key Lime Mousse Tarts by Blogghetti
• Eclairs by House of Nash Eats
• Grapefruit Mint Julep by The Spiffy Cookie
• Key Lime Soufflé by Art of Natural Living
• Lemon Lime Macaron by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Lemon Raspberry Bundt Cake by The Carefree Kitchen
• Mini Lemon Sweet Tea Pound Cakes by Nik Snacks
• No-Cook Candied Kumquats by Shockingly Delicious
• Pineapple Cheesecake Shooters by Jen Around the World
• Rhubarb Cream Cheese Danish by Devour Dinner
• Rhubarb Lavender Crisp by Sweet Beginnings
• Walking Banana Pudding Dessert Bags by For the Love of Food

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