GLUTEN FREE BISCOTTI WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS with Dairy Free Instructions

 

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     I was at the hairdresser last week and another client had baked biscotti.  They smelled so good.  I could not try one, but that started my craving.  
     Biscotti (singular is Biscotto) are twice baked cookies that originated in Italy.  Since they are dry, they are traditionally dunked into coffee or sweet dessert wine.  The original recipe contained no fat and were very hard.  Now a days they vary in ingredients and textures and are made with all sorts of additions, some with baking powder, some with butter or oil, some with nuts and flavorings, etc.
     I found a recipe on food.com that got rave reviews, Kittencal’s Almond Biscotti, so I made that one with some revisions.  Besides converting the recipe to GF I also reduced the sugar, used macadamia nuts instead of almonds and added some chocolate chips to half the batch.  The biscotti came out great.  Nice and crisp.  Firm enough that you can bit them and they don’t fall apart, but not so hard that you could break a tooth.  These are fairly easy to make and no mixer is needed.
     The first time I made these I used butter with one half the recipe and oil with the other half.  I also accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder and I had to throw out the whole batch as the cookies tasted fine with the first few chews and then had a bitter aftertaste from the baking soda.  I actually preferred how the oil version came out so I made the second (successful) batch entirely with oil.
     You can use different nuts and/or additional add-ins such as dried cranberries, white, milk or dark chocolate chips, currants, candies fruits, etc. as desired.  A total of 2 cups of add-ins is suggested.

GLUTEN FREE BISCOTTI WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Ingredients

1 cup	Sorghum Flour
1/2 cup - plus more as per instructions	Tapioca Flour - ** If using OIL add an additional  1/2 cup of tapioca flour.  If using melted BUTTER add an additional 1/4 cup of tapioca flour to the recipe.
1/4 cup	Chickpea Flour
2 1/2 tsp.	Baking Powder
1/2 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
1/8 tsp.	Sea Salt
1 cup	Macadamia nuts lightly toasted.  If you prefer almonds use 3/4 cup whole unblanched ones.
1/2-1 cup	Chocolate Chips (optional) - mini chips work well
2	Eggs
1/2 cup	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.)
1/3 cup	Oil or melted butter or margarine.
2 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
1 tsp.	Almond Extract
2 tsp.	Orange Zest  (I used the zest from 2 oranges.)
1	Egg white to brush the top before baking (optional...I did not use this)

     

Directions

1.   Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.   In a small bowl add the flours, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and nuts and mix   well.  If using chocolate chips add them at this time and mix well.  Set aside.

   

   Dry ingredients with nuts.

3.   In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, oil or melted butter or margarine, vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest.  Mix well.

   

   Orange zest added to wet ingredients.

4.   Add all the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix in.  The dough will be thick and sticky.

   

   Mixing the dry into the wet ingredients.

5.   Divide the dough in half.

   

   Completely mixed dough.  It is thick and sticky.

6.   I put half the dough on the baking sheet and then added the chocolate chips to the other half at this point.  If you want to use chips in the entire batter add them with the dry ingredients.

   

   Adding chocolate chips to half the batter.

7.   Scoop half the dough onto one side of an ungreased baking sheet.  Try to spoon or scoop it out onto the pan in a log shape.  Scoop the other half onto the other side of the baking sheet.  The dough is too sticky to shape with your hands so use a spatula to shape and spread each portion of dough into a log about 3 or 4-inches wide and 12-inches long.  

   

   Unbaked dough shaped into two 12-inch long logs.

8.   The dough will spread while baking so leave a few inches between the loaves.
9.   If desired brush the tops with beaten egg white.  (I did not do this.)
10.   Bake the loaves for 20 minutes until the center is firm to the touch and not mushy.
11. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 15 minutes.  If not cool enough the loaf will crumble while slicing it.

    

    Baked loaves.

12. Transfer each loaf to a cutting board and, using a sharp serrated knife, slice each loaf diagonally into 3/4 inch slices.

    

    One loaf cut diagonally into slices.  Each loaf made about 12 slices.

13. Place the slices, cut sides down onto the baking sheet and return to the oven. 

    

    Once baked slices on baking sheet about to go back into the oven for the second baking.

14. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, turning the slices over half way through.  The slices should be lightly browned.

    

    Twice baked slices, nicely browned.

15. Cool on a rack.
16. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  
    

GLUTEN FREE BISCOTTI WITH MACADAMIA NUTS AND CHOCOLATE CHIPS Ingredients 1 cup Sorghum Flour 1/2 cup - plus more as per instructions Tapioca Flour - ** If using OIL add an additional 1/2 cup of tapioca flour. If using melted BUTTER add an additional 1/4 cup of tapioca flour to the recipe. 1/4 cup Chickpea Flour 2 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder 1/2 tsp. Xanthan Gum 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt 1 cup Macadamia nuts lightly toasted. If you prefer almonds use 3/4 cup whole unblanched ones. 1/2-1 cup Chocolate Chips (optional) - mini chips work well 2 Eggs 1/2 cup Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals.) 1/3 cup Oil or melted butter or margarine. 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 tsp. Almond Extract 2 tsp. Orange Zest (I used the zest from 2 oranges.) 1 Egg white to brush the top before baking (optional...I did not use this) Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl add the flours, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum and nuts and mix well. If using chocolate chips add them at this time and mix well. Set aside. In a large bowl add the eggs, sugar, oil or melted butter or margarine, vanilla and almond extracts and orange zest. Mix well. Add all the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix in. The dough will be thick and sticky. Divide the dough in half. I put half the dough on the baking sheet and then added the chocolate chips to the other half at this point. If you want to use chips in the entire batter add them with the dry ingredients. Scoop half the dough onto one side of an ungreased baking sheet. Try to spoon or scoop it out onto the pan in a log shape. Scoop the other half onto the other side of the baking sheet. The dough is too sticky to shape with your hands so use a spatula to shape and spread each portion of dough into a log about 3 or 4-inches wide and 12-inches long. The dough will spread while baking so leave a few inches between the loaves. If desired brush the tops with beaten egg white. Bake the loaves for 20 minutes until the center is firm to the touch and not mushy. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 15 minutes. If not cool enough the loaf will crumble while slicing it. Transfer each loaf to a cutting board and, using a sharp serrated knife, slice each loaf diagonally into 3/4 inch slices. Place the slices, cut sides down onto the baking sheet and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, turning the slices over half way through. The slices should be lightly browned. Cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

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