These Orange Pecan Biscotti are great for hot chocolate and tea dipping, and all around nibbling.
Last year I went to a Christmas shin-dig with some ladies in my neighborhood. My good friend and culinary genius, Jessica Blake (who helped with this Fruit Cake tutorial awhile back), was in charge of the spread. So we enjoyed a yummy hot chocolate bar with some delicious varieties of biscotti. I could not get over the Orange Pecan Biscotti that she made. It was sooooooo good! I mean, seriously, there were chocolate biscotti there, too, and I am usually always the first to say that chocolate trumps all. But not so in this case. These orangey delights were the show stopper!
Jessica willingly shared the recipe with me so that I could reproduce this masterpiece of a cookie. I went ahead and converted it to standard U.S. measurements (since it was in grams). Just to keep things clean and easy, I had to make a few adjustments. If you do have a scale though, and want to be a little more precise, just let me know and I can probably post up that version as well. Oh, when will we decide to go metric here in the U. S. of A? This is one of my soapboxes because I think we should just take the plunge and go for it, but it seems like we’re still so resistant. But then we have adopted it in some fields of work. For example…..the medical field. All of the sudden, I’m dealing with Celsius, grams/kilograms, millimeters/centimeters….. It makes things harder for my brains folks! Let’s change already for crying out loud so I can just put my full heart and soul into it!
Anyway that was a random rant.
And on that note, just an FYI, I always use the scoop and sweep method with my measurements on all of my recipes unless otherwise indicated.
Back to cookies. Make these! They are so yummy.
Orange Pecan Biscotti
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange zest loosely packed
- 2 cups chopped pecans toast at 350 degrees F on a cookie sheet for approximately 7-10 minutes, turning once or more if needed for even browning., toasted
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
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In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
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In another medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.
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Add eggs, vanilla extract, and orange zest and blend until just incorporated.
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Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until just incorporated. This should form a soft dough.
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Add pecans and stir or knead in until evenly distributed.
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Form the dough into a log. (Overmixing can cause the dough to be a little sticky. If this is the case, put a little flour on your hands to help out while forming. It works wonders!
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Place log on a parchment lined baking sheet (or you can use a silicone mat such as a Silpat).
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With the palms of your hands, flatten the log to approximately 1 inch height.
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Bake at 325 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, or until firm to the touch.
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Remove from the oven and reduce heat to 250 degrees F.
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Allow to cool completely before slicing.
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When completely cooled, cut slices about 1/2 inch thick at a slight angle using a serrated blade.
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Return slices to sheet pan, standing upright.
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Bake for an additional 45 minutes at 250 degrees F, or until biscotti is well-dried.
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Cookies can be stored for about a week in an air-tight container.
Recipe Notes
Dress it Up:
Melt white or chocolate chip morsels as directed per package. Dip one end of each cookie into the chocolate, place on parchment, and let set (refrigerate them to set faster).
To pretty things up, create a simple egg wash with 1 egg and 1 tablespoon water. Whisk together and brush over the formed biscotti log before you begin to bake.
P.S. Sorry for the sporadic posts lately. My daughter had some unexpected and expected medical issues come up (unexpected in the timing, expected in the fact that we knew we’d be dealing with them eventually). Despite the craziness, I still want to keep some stuff coming because this, in a way, is like therapy to me to keep my mind in a happy place. Anyway, hopefully things will be more consistent soon! Thank goodness for my sis-in-law who can keep the recipes coming to fill in for my gaps!
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[…] we have here on the blog like our Soft Caramels, Peppermint Marshmallows, or a nice batch of Orange Pecan Biscotti to dip into some “Better than Starbucks” Caramel Apple Cider. Can you tell we have a […]