Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (2024)

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These Traditional Christmas Cookies from Naples, Roccoco Biscotti are the perfect dunking cookie. A fast and easy cookie recipe that is full of almonds and so tasty. Serve with a glass of wine, Spumonte or even a cup of tea or an espresso!

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (1)Roccoco Biscotti

An Italian Christmas is very different then the Canadian one I grew up with. No stuffed Turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy or even Shortbread!

But I have to say I can’t complain about the Roast Lamb, Crepe Cannelloni, Panettone or Biscotti. Including these Simple but very tasty Roccoco Biscotti.

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (2)
Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (3)
Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (4)

Where do Roccoco come from?

These cookies are originally from Naples and are served at Christmas Time, preferably with a class of wine, Spumonte, Limoncello or Marsala or if you prefer a cup of tea.

Interesting to know, the longer you bake them (without letting them burn) the harder they get. I bake mine for about 18 minutes and they are neither hard nor soft.

Although they could have gone another 3-5 minutes if you prefer harder biscuits, I have even heard an extra 10 minutes!

They are not a terribly sweet cookie, but have a distinct fall taste and aroma.

It’s best to store these cookies in an air tight container and they will keep for up to a week.

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (5)

How to Make Roccoco Biscotti

  • Toast the whole almonds, remove about 10 to top the biscotti with.
  • The remaining almonds coarsely shop.
  • In a large bowl add the flour, make a well in the middle and add the sugar, honey, chopped almonds, allspice, baking powder and the lemon and orange zest, stir to combine.
  • Add the water a little at time until you have a soft, compact dough that isn’t sticky.
  • Knead a few times on a lightly floured flat surface.
  • Remove pieces of dough and roll into about 4 inch ropes, then form into circles.
  • Place the circles on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Brush the cookies with an egg wash.
  • Cut remaining almonds into large pieces and place 3 pieces on each cookie. Bake for about 18-20 minutes.
  • Let cool before serving.

How to Roast Almonds

Preheat oven to 350F (180C), spread the almonds in an even layer on a cookie sheet, bake for about 8-12 minutes, stir the nuts 2-3 times while baking.

Remove the nuts from the oven and immediately transfer to a clean plate. Do not let the nuts cool on the cookie tray or they could burn.

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (6)

What is Pisto?

The traditional Naples Roccoco Recipe calls for an ingredient called Pisto. Which is a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and cloves.

I was not able to find it where I am, and I wasn’t going to go all the way to Naples to get a jar of spice, although Pizza al Napoletana, I wouldn’t say no to!

So I came to the conclusion that all spice would be the perfect substitute, and that is what I used.

More Delicious Italian Christmas Sweets

Italian Almond Cookies

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (7)

Chocolate Torrone

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (8)

Lupin Beans

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (9)

Struffoli

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (10)

So whatever you bake for your Christmas Celebration be sure to include something traditionally Italian. Enjoy!

Roccoco Biscotti

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (11)

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (12)

Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe

Rosemary Molloy

These Traditional Christmas Cookies from Naples, Roccoco Biscotti are the perfect dunking cookie. Almonds a fall spice make them perfect.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 28 minutes mins

Course Christmas Cookies

Cuisine Italian

Servings 24 cookies

Calories 85 kcal

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole almonds
  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons all spice
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • zest 1 orange
  • zest 1/2 lemon
  • 1/3 cup + 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons water

EGG WASH

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 350F (180C), line one or two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

  • Place the almonds on a cookie sheet and bake for 8-12 minutes. Stirring the almonds 2-3 times during baking time. Remove the almonds from the oven and immediately place in a clean bowl to cool. Once cool, remove 10 almonds, chop each almond into 3 pieces and set aside. The remaining almonds ground coarsely.

  • In a large bowl add the flour, make a well in the middle and add sugar, honey, ground almonds, all spice, baking powder and zest. Stir to combine.

  • Add the water a little at a time and and stir and bring together until almost combined, then move to a lightly floured flat surface and knead a few times until you have a compact soft, but not sticky dough.

  • Cut off pieces of dough and make 4 inch (10 cm) long ropes, form into circle shapes, overlapping one end a little on the other. Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets, brush with egg wash and top with 2-3 pieces of almonds. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes. Let cool before serving. Enjoy!

EGG WASH

  • In a small bowl beat together the egg and water.

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 58mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 0.7mg

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Italian Roccoco Biscotti Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is butter better than oil in biscotti? ›

The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life. As for fillings and flavors, biscotti get along with a host of ingredients, including dried fruit, nuts, spices, liqueurs and chocolate.

Should biscotti dough be chilled before baking? ›

Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time.

What makes biscotti so hard? ›

Biscotti are hard, crunchy cookies as they are usually baked twice - the word biscotti is derived from Italian - "bis" meaning "twice" and "cotti" meaning "cooked". Usually the dough is formed into small loaf shapes (similar to a ciabatta loaf) and baked for around 20 minutes, then cooled slightly before slicing.

How do you keep homemade biscotti crispy? ›

  1. To store homemade biscotti and maintain its crispiness, follow these simple steps:
  2. Cool completely. ...
  3. Line the container with paper towels. ...
  4. Store in an airtight container. ...
  5. Store at room temperature. ...
  6. Consume within 2 weeks. ...
  7. Here's a visual guide to storing homemade biscotti:
Dec 12, 2023

Can you overmix biscotti dough? ›

Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.

What is the difference between Italian and American biscotti? ›

Biscotti can be either the traditional Italian type which is very crunchy and intended for dunking in coffee, tea, or wine. Or they can be the softer American type, eaten like any cookie. The Italian type keeps longer and has no butter, so they are much lower calorie and very low fat.

Are biscotti healthier than cookies? ›

In terms of health regular cookies are a high-calorie treat because of their higher moisture content, which also causes them to contain more fats and sugars. However, because of their drier texture, biscotti usually have lower fat and sugar content. However, it is vital to practice portion control, for both options.

How long will homemade biscotti last? ›

How Long Does Biscotti Last? Your homemade biscotti will last for up to one month in an airtight container at room temperature. If you want to keep the biscotti longer, you can freeze it for up to three months.

What does baking soda do in biscotti? ›

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

How do you know when biscotti is done? ›

If the biscotto feels soft, like a piece of cake, give it another 5 minutes in the oven. If it feels firm but still gives a bit when you poke it, take it out for rather soft-textured but still crunchy biscotti.

Why do my biscotti crumble when I cut them? ›

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

Do you need to sift flour for biscotti? ›

Measuring your ingredients is the only way to make sure you're getting a consistent crunch in your biscotti! Do sift the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Sifting your ingredients together help avoid the hard middle in your biscotti!

How sticky should biscotti dough be? ›

The dough.

Biscotti dough is inherently sticky. I recommend adequately flouring your hands before working the dough, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add a little flour at a time but just enough so you can work with it.

How crunchy should biscotti be? ›

Are biscotti supposed to be hard? Yes! Because they are baked twice, biscotti are hard and crisp. They're great for dunking in a hot cup of coffee (cookies for breakfast ❤).

Why are my biscotti falling apart when I cut them? ›

If when you have baked the loaf, and then they fall apart when you try to slice them, you have baked the Biscotti too long.

Why do my biscotti break when I cut them? ›

After the first bake, allow the biscotti to cool for about 10 minutes but don't leave them too long. If you leave them too long the dough will become too hard and it will be difficult to cut, but if you cut them when they are hot the slices will crumble.

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