I’m so proud of myself for nailing a vegan and gluten-free biscotti that’s light, crisp, and buttery and won’t break your teeth. It’s my ideal companion for coffee, but it’ll make teatime more fun, too! I dipped the bottoms in chocolate, because this is how I remember biscotti from my local coffee shops, but you could drizzle it on top if you want less of it. And if you want to start experimenting with different flavor variations, you could easily swap the cinnamon for other spices like cardamom, ginger, or allspice; fold in dried currants, blueberries, or nuts other than pecans; and try other dry additions such as lemon or orange zest.
Servings: Makes 10 biscotti
Time: Prep: 20 minutes, Cook: 70 minutes, Cool: 40 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp golden flax meal
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 cup fine almond flour
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup (1 stick) vegan butter, partially softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 bar (4oz/113g) dairy-free semi-sweet baking chocolate (broken into squares) or ¾ cup vegan chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup finely chopped pecans
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and water and set aside to thicken.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and sea salt.
- Using a hand mixer and another large mixing bowl or stand mixer, cream together the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the thickened flax mixture and vanilla, and continue to mix until combined. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture until combined. Once the dough comes together, use a spatula to mix in the coconut and pecans until well combined.
- Place dough on prepared baking sheet using your hands. Spread into a ¾-inch thick rectangle that measures 10×4 inches.
- Bake for 35 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and the cookie is slightly raised. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack, and let the cookie cool for 35-40 minutes. Slice it while it’s still a little warm and not completely cooled. Slice with a long, sharp knife on a slight diagonal every ¾ inch into 10 biscotti.
- Gently place the biscotti on the parchment cut-side down. Bake again for 30-35 minutes, flipping gently to the other cut-side halfway through baking, until the cookies are firm to the touch and golden brown all over. Remove the baking sheet to a wire rack and let the biscotti cool completely before dipping in chocolate.
- To melt the chocolate, place a heat-safe bowl over a pot with 1 or 2 inches of low simmering water. Melt the chocolate until smooth, or you can melt it in the microwave until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate into a wide shallow dish so you can dip the bottoms of the biscotti. Coat the bottoms and let the excess drip off, then lay them top-side down on a wire rack. Decorate with chopped pecans or shredded coconut, and allow to dry completely. Store in a container at room temperature or in the fridge.
Adapted from HOT FOR FOOD ALL DAY. Copyright © 2021 by Lauren Toyota. Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.
