Simple Lemon Biscotti Recipe
For once, I’m keeping the flavors and textures as simple as can be with this recipe for lemon biscotti. The crisp, twice baked cookies are packed with flavor, without anything extra to get in the way. Dip your lemon biscotti in a hot beverage for a special treat!
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Making Simple Lemon Biscotti
Months ago, my uncle sent me a huge bag of Meyer lemons. Like huge, huge. There was no way I could use it all before the lemons went bad, so I zested and juiced them. The zest went into a baggie in the freezer, and the lemon juice got frozen in ice cube trays, then placed in another baggie in the freezer.
Even after all this time, that lemon zest is still packing a big ole punch of flavor. However, lemon juice wasn’t going to cut it for this recipe. Lemon extract is much more concentrated, so that worked perfectly.
Lemon Candy Melts
I also tossed in some chopped up lemon candy melts. This added a sweet burst of lemon throughout the biscotti. If you cannot find lemon chocolate or candy melts (check Michaels), you have alternatives. Skip it and increase the lemon extract to a full teaspoon.
If you still want something to toss into your biscotti dough, I suggest white chocolate chips, crystallized ginger, or slivered almonds. Each of these options will alter the flavor and texture of the lemon biscotti, but they all sound delicious as heck to me.
Missing Some Crunch?
To be honest, these were supposed to be lemon almond biscotti, but turns out the slivered almonds I knew were in the pantry, well they weren’t actually there. Don’t let something like that ruin a recipe for you though!
You could 100% throw in 75g- 100g of slivered almonds for more flavor and crunch. These are your biscotti and you should make them any way your taste buds prefer.
Homemade Biscotti Is Easy
Biscotti is just one of my favorite little treats. You absolutely must pair it with a hot beverage. The ritual of preparing tea or chai, then settling down to enjoy my biscotti, drink, and a good book or something on TV just feels like self care to me.
The great thing is, homemade biscotti is very easy to make, it just takes time, but not a lot of effort. Do not be afraid of overbaking these cookies. They will be in the oven for a long time, but with the proper steps, they will not burn. They will just become a nice golden brown.
Related Reading: Sweet Cinnamon Chai Biscotti
Top Tips for Biscotti
- Use bowl scrapers to shape the dough into a log. Wearing gloves can help minimize the mess too.
- Make sure the biscotti loaf is FULLY baked after the first go in the oven. If the center feels soft, pop it back in until completely cooked through. It should be a light golden brown.
- Let the loaf cool completely before slicing for the best texture.
- Prevent the sliced biscotti from burning by insulating the bottoms with a silicone mat and adding a second baking tray.
- Store cooled biscotti layered between wax paper in an airtight container on the counter for 1- 2 weeks
Step By Step Tutorial
Like I said, lemon biscotti is an incredibly simple recipe, but if you’ve never made biscotti before, it’s easy to feel a bit tentative about trying something new. Be sure to check out the recipe video on my YouTube channel (and right here on this page).
If you’d prefer step by step pictures over video, check out my coconut cardamom biscotti. That will show you how your log should be shaped, baked, and sliced. And, of course, you can always send me a message or leave a comment with any questions.
Enjoy!
Crisp, golden brown biscotti flavored with the bright citrus kick of lemon is a special treat you should enjoy with your favorite hot beverage. These simple cookies are easy to make from scratch and will certainly jazz up your afternoon tea.
Lemon biscotti are one of my favorite ways to enjoy “me time”, but they are also fantastic to share with friends! Send this recipe to someone who you would love to have a little tea and biscotti break with.
Lemon Biscotti
Ingredients
- 160 g cake flour
- 80 g almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 160 g sugar
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp lemon extract
- 80 g unsalted butter melted
- 75 g lemon candy melts chopped
Instructions
- Sift the cake flour, almond flour, ginger, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon extract with a hand mixer on a medium speed until it has at least doubled in size, about 3 minutes. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients and gently fold until just about combined. Add the chopped lemon candy melts to the bowl and fold gently to combine. Cover the bowl and chill until cold, about 1- 3 hours.
- About 15 minutes before you are ready to take the dough out of the fridge, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a silicone mat.
- Turn the biscotti dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 10- 12 inch log. I suggest wearing food safe gloves as the dough may be quite sticky. It also helps to use two cake scrapers to shape the dough.
- Bake the log for 35 - 40 minutes, or until light golden brown. The biscotti is completely baked when the top springs back and a skewer comes out clean. Cool on the baking sheet for 15 minutes before carefully transferring to a cooling rack. Cool completely, at least an hour or two.
- When the log is cool, preheat the oven to 325°F. Slice into 1 inch cookies on a slight diagonal. Place the cookies upright on the lined baking sheet. Insulate the bottom of the baking sheet by placing it inside a second baking sheet of the same size. Bake for 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Place cookies on a cooling rack and cool completely.
- To store, place in an air tight container on the counter for up to 2 weeks. Serve with your favorite hot beverage.
Notes
- Depending on how I slice the biscotti, I usually end up with 14- 16 cookies (including the rounded ends).
- If you cannot find lemon candy melts, increase the lemon extract to 1 tsp for a bolder flavor.
Colleen
Hi there! I’m Colleen, a novice baker with a passion for learning and improving my bakes… and blunders. On Bakes and Blunders, you can find all sorts of tasty recipes that range in difficulty, but most importantly, I’ll try to explain the reason behind important steps. If you know why a recipe works, you can tweak and adapt it to suit your unique tastes, and you’ll be able to reliably produce some very delicious treats. If you love baking and want to expand and grow your skills, or if you are a casual baker and just need some pointers, my blog is right up your alley! Join me on my baking journey and we’ll learn how to make more impressive recipes together.
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