When I first started teaching at the cooking school (seven years ago this month!), the first person I met there was a very kind gentleman of Italian ancestry named Roberto. He was prepping for an evening class when I stepped in, and without any hesitation, he dropped everything he was doing to introduce himself, give me a tour of the school, and welcome me warmly.
Roberto has since moved on to new adventures, including fulfilling his life-long dream of planting his own little vineyard and producing his own wine. Those of us at the school who knew him will always remember him very fondly–not only because he was a great chef, but because he was also such a jolly character with a gentle heart. He was known for his delicious pasta dishes, his family recipes, and, of course, he was also known for his signature biscotti. To this day, we always refer to these as “Roberto’s biscotti“!
I am sharing the recipe for these amazing apricot and toasted almond biscotti with all of you today because, they are not only so delicious, but they are surprisingly easy to make as well. If you have a food processor, mixing the dough will take only minutes.
If you have never made biscotti before, this recipe is a great place to start and I hope that the step-by-step photo tutorial below will help. If you are craving a small, sweet treat to go with your coffee or tea, give these biscotti a try and make them as your weekend project! This recipe makes a lot of biscotti, but you can share them with your friends and your neighbors (or just keep them all to yourself)! Trust me, you are going to love them!
Apricot and Toasted Almond Biscotti – Step by Step Photo Tutorial
— Divide the dough into 4 equal parts (or three, for larger biscotti)
— Form 4 long logs and place on parchment paper lined baking sheets
— Bake and let them cool in the pan
— Slice and lay on their side – Bake them again on both sides
— Golden brown and ready to enjoy!
- 2 ¾ cups All-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 stick chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 2½ tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. ground ginger
- 1⅔ cups whole almonds, toasted
- 3½ oz. white chocolate (or good quality white chocolate chips)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup plus 1 TBSP. apricot- flavored brandy (like Jacquins’s)
- 2 tsp almond extract
- 6 oz. dried apricots, diced
- Line two, 18x12x1-inch cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil (I prefer parchment paper but if you use foil, butter and flour it first.). Combine the first 6 ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Process until it forms a fine meal. Add white chocolate chips and pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add the toasted almonds and chop coarsely, using 6 to 8 on/off turns.
- Beat the eggs, brandy and almond extract together in large bowl. Add the flour mixture and the diced apricots and stir until a moist dough forms. Divide the dough into four portions.
- Form the dough into four, 14-inch-long by 2-inch-wide logs and place them on the two prepared sheets, spacing evenly. If the dough is too sticky, moisten fingertips before you shape it. Refrigerate until the dough is firm, about 30 minutes.
- While the dough is resting in the refrigerator, position a rack in the center of oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake one sheet at a time until light golden brown, or about 25-30 minutes. Transfer the sheet to a rack and cool completely. Repeat the process with the second sheet.
- Reduce the heat to 300°F. Transfer the logs to a work surface. Using a serrated knife, cut each log crosswise into ½- to ¾- inch wide slices. Arrange half of the biscotti cut side down on cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes.
- Gently turn the biscotti over and bake 7-8 minutes longer. Do not over cook. Transfer to racks to cool. Repeat baking the remaining biscotti. Cool completely.
The biscotti can be prepared two weeks ahead, stored in airtight container at room temperature. Use a glass or metal container for storage. They can also be frozen for up to 2 months in zip-lock bags.
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I would love to know what you think – please leave me a comment below!
This is absolutely delicious. I have a recipe in the freezer to prepare today to take to the annual cake show. If I show up without this all my friends will ask “where is the biscotti.” Tks for sharing. Yes, Roberto was a wonderful person and we were so lucky to have shared many treasured hours with him. Also we are fortunate to have you for seven years and look forward to many more.
You are so sweet Cynthia! I am so glad you have been making and enjoying Roberto’s amazing biscotti!
This post was long overdue – I have been planning to write this for such a long time. I am so happy it is finally on the blog and I can now share it with my readers!
This biscotti recipe is from an older Bon Appetit Christmas book – I have been making it for years it is not Robertos.
These are great. I am glad to have the recipe. Roberto stopped by the school a month or so ago, and left some of these. I tried the biscotti, and I still have yet to meet Roberto. Maybe next time!
It is a good story too !
So glad to know that you tried them Kathy! I hope you do get to meet him some time – he is such a sweet person and a real gentleman!
Oh, I want these right now, Marilena! They look delicious!
These would be great with coffee anytime, but they especially look like Spring.
Loved the story about Roberto, too.
Thank you!
Thanks friend! I would love to know what you think of them when you make them:) I know you are going to love them – Keep me posted!
You can’t imagine how happy I am to finely find this recipe again. I lost the original many years ago when I was moving from the Napa Valley to Kentucky. This is the best biscotti recipe I’ve ever tried. I have made it many, many times and everyone loves it.
Thank you so very much,
Sandra Roy
Your message makes me so happy, Sandra! This is probably the best biscotti recipe I have ever tried. I am so glad it has become one of your favorites too!
A favorite recipe that I’ve made for years. My ex husband is always asking me to make for him and since we are still on very good terms, I gladly do that. I’d like to try using dried cranberries and perhaps pistachios (although almonds would still be great), but still trying to decide what to use in substitution for the apricot brandy. We have a local distillery (Flag Hill) which makes a cranberry liqueur but wondering if an orange liqueur would be a better choice. Any thoughts about the likelihood of success with these substitutions.
Hi Pam,
I am so glad you liked these biscotti, it is my favorite recipe for biscotti!
I am not sure about cranberry liqueur, I would try an orange liqueur without hesitation — it always adds a wonderful flavor to biscotti!
Thanks so much for your quick response. I made the recipe yesterday with cranberries and pistachios using Cointreau in place of the apricot brandy and vanilla extract instead of almond extract. The results were very good but I must say that my favorite will always be the original apricot/almond version.
You are very welcome! I am glad you tried another version of this recipe and you were happy with the results!
I made these for a dinner party, and we couldn’t believe how delicious they were. I make biscotti all the time, but this recipe is a standout! I didn’t save the link and was so distraught when I couldn’t find it, but after three years I somehow tracked down the recipe today. I’m so excited to recreate these.
That’s wonderful, Nancy! I am so glad you found the link to my recipe again. It has been a favorite in my family for over ten years now! Thank you so much for getting in touch:)
Hi Marilena – just wondering it this recipe can be baked successfully without the chocolate? Many thanks and best wishes, Bron
You can absolutely leave the chocolate out, Bron! They will still be delicious!
Many thanks Marilena – great to hear! Best wishes, Bron
You are very welcome, Bron!