Makes 36 cookies
Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
- 1⅔ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole spelt flour
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 5½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- 1¼ cups whole nuts (hazelnut, pecan or walnuts)
- 1¼ cups mixed dried fruits (chopped apricots, chopped figs, raisins, cranberries)
Sift together all-purpose flour, spelt flour, almond flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Use a hand mixer to cream sugar and butter lightly until smooth but not too aerated, about 3 minutes. Continue mixing while slowly adding eggs one at a time. Add the sifted dry ingredients slowly, then the sliced almonds, whole nuts and dried fruit, stirring to combine.
Divide dough into 3 equal pieces and shape each into 4-inch wide, ½-inch thick rectangle. At this point you can cook or freeze for later. If freezing, wrap each log in parchment paper and freeze for up to 2 months. When ready to use, defrost in the fridge overnight or on the counter for approximately 2 hours.
Heat oven to 350°F and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Bake logs for 20 minutes, until centre of log feels firm and offers some resistance. Let cool for 15 minutes, then cut into slices just under half an inch thick. Lay slices down on the tray, turn oven down to 275°F, and bake slices for 30 to 35 minutes, until completely dry. Once they feel dry, take one piece from the tray and let it cool completely to room temperature. Check its final dryness to ensure there are no soft spots. If soft spots remain, return slices to the oven for another 10 minutes, then repeat. This step is crucial because moisture will affect biscotti’s shelf life. When they are fully dry, let all pieces cool completely, then store in an airtight container.