Lemon Tipped Pistachio Biscotti
Fresh and light, these lemon glazed biscotti are studded with roasted pistachios and have all the bright flavors of lemon. Serve them at brunch or with afternoon tea.
One of my favorite things to do is look through cookbooks at the library. There are always so many to choose from, and I often end up carrying out a stack of books that I didn’t even know I wanted. Such was the case when I ended up with this tiny cookbook that was published in 1994. Flipping through the book at the library, the recipe for these biscotti immediately got my attention.
Biscotti are twice-baked cookies that go wonderfully with coffee (or in my case, espresso). I’ve had biscotti in the past that were so hard they could barely be bitten into. Those are meant to be dunked in coffee to soften them up. These biscotti are not like that; they have the crunch you’d expect from biscotti, but with just enough softness to make them perfect for eating on their own.
The roasted pistachios give these biscotti a deeper flavor than other nuts I’ve used, and I liked that the pistachio flavor didn’t get lost. There’s lemon zest in the biscotti, which brightens it up and pairs well with the roasted pistachios. The lemon glaze really really puts these biscotti over the top. With fresh lemon zest and juice, it gives the biscotti a little sweetness with a lot of freshness and flavor. These are great for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up, coffee optional.
- YIELD: 2 dozen
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup shelled pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped
For the glaze:
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ cup lemon juice
- 1
Heat oven to 375º. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and lemon zest on low to medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. Stir in pistachios.
- 2
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half. (If you have a scale, I think my halves were around 13 ounces each.) Lightly flour each piece and, using your hands, shape it into a log about 9 inches long, ¾-inch thick and 3 inches wide. Transfer to a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet, placing the logs at least 3 inches apart.
- 3
Bake until puffed and lightly browned on top, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool 10 minutes on pan, then transfer to work surface. Using a long, sharp knife, cut each log crosswise into ¾-inch thick slices. Make each cut with a single cut of the blade, as a sawing motion will break the biscotti.
- 4
Place the cookies, cut side down, back on the baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, turn each cookie over and bake an additional 10 minutes or until biscotti are golden. Transfer to wire racks to cool.
- 5
While the biscotti cool, make the icing. Whisk together powdered sugar, lemon zest and juice in a medium bowl. Adjust as needed by adding more powdered sugar or more lemon juice. Dip one end of each biscotti in the icing, turning to coat the tip evenly. Place back on the wire rack until icing sets.
I love biscotti! These look great. There is def. a difference between home made biscotti and the store bought ones. Great Job!!
Wow, this biscotti looks delicious. I really don't make it as much as I should but when I do make biscotti I use this Brownie Biscotti recipe. Thanks for sharing yours!