Gluten Free Biscotti (with Olive Oil)

ahhh, biscotti in the fall, if the song hasn’t been written yet, it should.

These twice-baked wonders (thrice in this case but i won’t quibble) have a characteristically dry & crispy texture and a satisfying denseness that makes them especially dunkable in warm beverages — although I’ll confess that I rarely dunk, I love eating them bone dry (with a caffè forte on the side, poetic lyricism if ever there were).

Although I’ve been making biscotti for a couple decades now, I gave myself an extra challenge with these by setting out to preserve the characteristic crispiness of classic biscotti (without too much crumble) while using both a gluten-free flour and olive oil instead of butter.  Today’s recipe is the result of my happy (and sometimes less so) experiments.

Pistachio & Winter Citrus

Tasty and vibrant pistachio with fresh citrus zest makes a beautiful pairing especially this time of year when we are coming into winter citrus season ~ there are many options to choose from in the lemon/orange family right now.

For the pistachio, I recommend buying unshelled and shelling them yourself — it does involve a bit more work but the freshness and color are incomparable.  Of course, you can use any nut you like here.

Does this Gluten Free Version taste like classic Biscotti?

It does! The result is excellent both in terms of texture & taste, I’m not sure I could tell the difference.  The biscotti also hold their shape well and don’t crumble more than regular biscotti.

What’s the biggest Challenge with using Gluten Free Flour & Olive Oil

The biggest difference I noticed using a gluten free flour + olive oil is that it produces a stiffer & stickier batter which can be a little trickier to work with (biscotti made with AP flour + butter creates a soft, smooth and cooperative batter — how boring!) – having a pastry/dough scraper or flexible bowl spatula is very useful for dividing the dough and plopping it (official term) onto the baking sheet.

The good news is that the sticky dough does not detract from the end-product and, with a little patience (and damp fingers), it’s possible to work with and shape the dough.  Don’t let the stick factor stop you from diving in, it’s absolutely worth it.

Changing Oven Temperature for the Bakes 

I like to get the exterior of the biscotti nice and golden on the first bake by using a higher heat to start — this helps lock in the crispiness of the outer casing which is especially important in this gluten-free version.

Once the loaves are sliced and the biscottis are placed back into the oven on their sides for the second (and third) bake, I bring the temperature down to preserve the integrity of the nuts/fruit while drying out the biscuit — a lower oven temp prevents burning the exposed pistachio and also helps preserve its pretty green color.

Top Tip

The best tip I can give you for a successful outcome with gluten free biscotti is to read through the recipe card before making them and try to follow the instructions as closely as possible, including weighing the ingredients where listed — I don’t normally request this level of tedious adherence but if you’re anything like me and tend to eyeball a recipe and then kinda launch off in your own direction, this may not be the right one to walk on the wild side with (at least not initially anyway).

Glazing Suggestions

Our two favorites are citrus glaze dip and chocolate dip (although I do recommend trying at least one of these biscottis dry, my favorite way to enjoy them, and don’t forget the end pieces… omg, they’re the best!)

For the citrus glaze: use a simple combination of icing sugar + fresh lemon or orange juice to preferred consistency (add incrementally by tsp) — dunk one end of the cooled biscotti into the glaze (maybe 1/3 of the overall length) and then top with a sprinkle of citrus zest before it sets.  You can also pipe/drizzle the citrus glaze onto the biscotti if you prefer.

For the chocolate dip: melt some chocolate of choice (I do this on the stove in a small pot) and dunk the ends of the biscottis the same way described above for the citrus glaze.  You can decorate the chocolate while it’s still wet with some citrus zest as well if you like. Leftover chocolate? Drizzle onto mandarin slices…what a treat!

5.0 from 3 reviews

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Biscotti with Pistachio & Winter Citrus

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

40 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

 

These delicious pistachio & winter citrus biscotti embody the characteristic crispiness and satisfying denseness of the traditional Italian biscuit ~ irresistible and perfect for dunking in warm autumn/winter beverages!

Author: kelly

Serves: 20-24 biscotti

Ingredients

• 240 g (2 not-quite full cups) all purpose gluten free flour (I'm using Bob's Red Mill)
• ½ Tbsp xanthan gum (if your GF flour already contains xanthan gum, simply skip)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 65 g (about ⅓ cup) packed granulated sugar (I like the texture of brown sugar for this)
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp lemon or orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup shelled pistachio, chunky chop (not too small) I recommend shelling your own for the freshest tasting and most vibrant colored nuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. In a medium sized mixing bowl, combine: gluten free flour, xanthan gum (if your GF doesn't contain any), baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a larger mixing bowl, beat the olive oil, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla together until well combined -- (I use a hand mixer for this which is especially helpful when adding the flour);
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions - the mixture should be lighter and brighter at this stage.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture in increments -- the batter will become progressively stiffer (a blender is helpful) and sticky - turn off the mixer once all the flour is mixed in. Add the pistachios to the bowl, using a spoon or bowl spatula etc. to combine the nuts as best you can (it will be hard/sticky, that's expected).
6. Using a pastry scraper, divide the dough in half (just eyeball it, doesn't have to be perfect) and invert each half onto a silpat lined baking sheet (non-stick/slip liner) image #3//first quadrant - nb: don't try to do this on a parchment sheet it will be too slippy and drive you bonkers) -- now use your hands to shape and pat each bundle of mixture into a log (approx 8" x 3½ " x ¾") image #4//first quadrant-- if the dough is too sticky to handle, add a little bit of water to your hands (not more flour) and continue to shape the dough, this is a great trick for working through the stickiness just don't soak your hands (and the biscotti) with water, a little goes a long way!
7. Once your logs are in place, pop the baking sheet into the 375F oven for about 20 minutes until the logs have puffed up and have become to acquire a golden exterior (image #1//second quadrant) -- that exterior is important for the texture/crunchiness of these biscotti,
8. Remove the baked logs from the oven and allow them to cool on a rack for 10 minutes (set a timer).
9. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.
10. After 10 minutes, slice the biscotti logs into (roughly) ½" slices (image #2//second quadrant) and place each piece, slice down, back on the silpat (image #3//second quadrant).
11. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes before flipping the biscotti over, and baking another 10 minutes on the other side. Your biscotti should now be dry and have some golden color on both sides (image #4//second quadrant) -- keep an eye on them, you don't want them to over-brown. Remove the biscotti from the oven and allow them to cool before enjoying.
12. Store biscotti in an airtight container for up to one month or freeze in a suctioned freezer bag for best longevity. If your freezer space allows, you can also store in an airtight container with parchment paper.

3.5.3251