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Holiday Recipe: Walnut Biscotti

By Katherine Spiers
December 12, 2013
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Suzanne Goin, the chef behind the newly reopened A.O.C., has shared with us a couple of her favorite holiday cookie recipes. Here are her biscotti, perfect for pairing with a hot drink!

Walnut Biscotti
Makes about 20 cookies
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1 extra- large egg
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest
1/2 cup walnut halves or pieces

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour and baking powder. Stir in the salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, cream the butter and ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar at medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the egg and orange zest, and beat until fluffy again. Add the dry ingredients slowly, and combine at low speed.

Right before the dough comes together, add the walnuts, and mix for a couple of seconds, just to incorporate. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, and shape it into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet.

Chill in freezer for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back midway through the baking time, until the log is very light golden brown and firm to the touch; a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean. When the log has cooled completely (this works best if the log is cooked the day before), again preheat the oven to 350°F.

Slice the log on the diagonal into ¼- inch-thick biscotti. Place them cut- side up on a parchment- lined baking sheet, and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping after about 7 minutes, until they are light golden brown.

Excerpted from The A.O.C. Cookbook by Suzanne Goin. Copyright © 2013 by Suzanne Goin. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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