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Amaretto Biscotti on a white plate with Plugra butter & a cake stand with biscotti behind it.
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Amaretto Biscotti

Amaretto Biscotti! Bursting with sweet almond flavor, these classic Italian cookies make a beautiful treat to package and give to friends and neighbors throughout the holidays season.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 30 biscotti
Author: The Kitchen Prep

Ingredients

  • 2¼ cups + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur *
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 cup toasted sliced almonds

For Glaze

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Amaretto liqueur
  • 1 teaspoon milk or enough to make smooth glaze that isn't runny

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and sea salt. Set aside.
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a hand mixer), beat together softened butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
  • Add Amaretto liqueur, vanilla extract and almond extract to the mixture. Mix until well-incorporated.
  • With the mixer on medium-low, slowly add in the flour. Mix until the flour is just incorporated.
  • Add the sliced almonds and fold in by hand or mix gently with the mixer as to not break the pieces up too much.
  • Sprinkle a little bit of flour over the top of the dough and dust hands with flour. Grab about half the dough and carefully (and quickly) place it on the lined baking pan and form into a log that is about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Do the same with the other half of the dough, leaving about 4-5 inches between them as they will spread a bit during baking.
  • Bake for about 25 minutes or until they are puffed and light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes. Turn the oven down to 250°F.
  • Using a serrated knife, carefully slice about 1 inch biscotti from each log. Place the biscotti, cut side down, back onto the baking pan. (I remove the parchment at this point, but you can leave it on if you prefer.)
  • Bake for 25 minutes, then flip and bake for another 20 minutes or until the biscotti have dried out and are crisp and golden.
  • Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Make Glaze

  • In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, amaretto liqueur and milk until smooth.

Drizzle with Glaze

  • Drizzle the cooled biscotti with the amaretto glaze and allow to set before packaging or serving.

Notes

To make gluten-free: Replace all-purpose flour with preferred one-to-one gluten free flour substitute.
Prefer not to use liqueur? Omit the amaretto and increase the amount of almond extract to ½ a teaspoon.
Variations:
  • Add spices such as cardamom, cinnamon or ground ginger.
  • Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest or orange zest to the dough.
  • Add ½  cup of dried cherries or drained Amarena cherries to dough.
  • Add a chopped, good quality white, dark, or milk chocolate bar to the mix for extra sweetness.
  • Finish biscotti by dunking in melted white, milk or dark chocolate or by dusting with powdered sugar.