High Altitude Maple Macadamia Nut Biscotti

Today’s recipe for high altitude maple biscotti with crunchy macadamia nuts is easy to make, and perfect for dunking in your coffee or tea. For a sweet and salty finish, I drizzled the biscotti with maple icing and finished them with a sprinkling of chopped macadamia nuts and flaky salt.

Looking for more biscotti recipes? You might also like my dark chocolate biscotti, almond biscotti and butter pecan biscotti.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy to Make. This is a really simple recipe that anyone can master, even if you’re a beginner baker. It doesn’t require any special equipment or skills to make a delicious pan of homemade maple biscotti. And I’ve included lots of step-by-step photos in today’s post to guide you through the process.

Long Shelf Life. One of the best things about biscotti is that because they are hard, crunchy cookies, they last for a long time. You can keep them in an airtight container or cookie jar for weeks or longer, without worrying about them going stale.

Perfect for Holidays. When I have company for the holidays, I love to have a jar of homemade biscotti that everyone can enjoy with their morning coffee while I’m making breakfast. It’s also a delicious addition to a Christmas cookie box. You can experiment with different spices, or even trade the macadamia nuts for walnuts or pecans.

What are Biscotti?

Biscotti, also known as cantucci, are Italian almond biscuits or cookies. First they are baked in a loaf or slab, then sliced and baked again. Since they are twice baked, their texture becomes hard and crunchy, making them ideal for dunking into hot (or cold) drinks. Tea, coffee, or even cold milk are all great with biscotti. Almond is the traditional flavor for biscotti, but there are unlimited flavor variations you can try.

And did you know that biscotti is plural, meaning it refers to more than one cookie? The singular term for one cookie is biscotto, but biscotti is typically the only word used when referring to these classic Italian cookies.

See the recipe card at the end of the post for the full ingredients list and instructions.

Ingredients

Biscotti

• Flour. All-purpose flour gives the dough structure and strength.
• Sugar. Granulated sugar adds sweetness.
• Baking Powder. Leavening agent.
• Salt. Balances the sweetness and enhances the flavor of the maple and macadamia nuts.
• Cardamom. Complements the flavor of the nuts.
• Macadamia Nuts. Adds crunch and a buttery, nutty flavor.
• Eggs. Binds the dough together and gives it strength.
• Butter. The butter adds flavor and makes the biscotti crisp as they bake and dry.
• Vanilla + Maple Extracts. Flavor.

Icing

• Powdered Sugar. Sweetens and thickens the icing.
• Vanilla + Maple Extracts. Flavor.
• Milk. Thins the icing.
• Macadamia Nuts.
• Flaky Finishing Salt. I like to sprinkle a little Maldon sea salt on top for a sweet and salty finish.

Instructions

Make the biscotti dough.

• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cardamom and chopped macadamia nuts.
• Add the beaten eggs, melted butter, vanilla and maple extracts, and stir everything together into a soft, sticky dough.

• Cover the bowl and chill the dough for 3-4 hours, until cold.

Bake the biscotti – first bake.

• Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a large baking sheet (or two medium baking sheets) with parchment baking paper.
• Divide the chilled dough into three portions, dusting each portion with a little flour to keep the dough from sticking to your hands. Roll or press each portion of dough out into a rectangular-shaped log, measuring about 3×8 inches and about 3/4 inch thick. Make sure you leave about 4 inches between each portion of dough on the baking sheet, since they will spread out as they bake. Use two baking sheets if you need more space.
• Brush the top of the dough with egg white and sprinkle with a few tablespoons of granulated sugar.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are starting to brown, and the biscotti has spread out and puffed up a bit. If you gently press on the center of one, it should feel baked through, not raw or doughy.
• Remove from the oven, and let cool for exactly 10 minutes on the baking sheet. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.

• Use a large spatula or cake lifter to carefully lift the slabs of biscotti onto a cutting board. Use a sharp knife (I find that a chef’s knife works best) to slice the slabs into individual biscotti about 3/4 – 1 inch thick. Place the biscotti back onto the baking sheet, turned on their side with the cut side facing up.

Bake the biscotti – second bake.

• Bake the biscotti for 10 minutes. Turn the biscotti over, so the other cut side is facing up, and bake for 10 more minutes. Cool completely.
• Make sure the biscotti is completely cooled before storing it in an airtight container.

Drizzle with icing.

• Whisk together the powdered sugar, extracts and milk. Drizzle the icing over the cooled biscotti.
• Before the icing sets, sprinkle with the chopped macadamia nuts and finishing salt.
• Let the icing set and dry before storing the biscotti.

Be sure to read all of my BAKING FAQs where I discuss ingredients, substitutions and common baking questions, so that you can be successful in your own baking!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are my biscotti not crispy?

After the second bake, if your biscotti aren’t crisp after cooling completely, then they may be slightly under-baked. You can return them to the oven for a few minutes to finish drying out.

Why does my biscotti crumble when I cut it?

If you cut the biscotti while it’s too hot, it can crumble when you cut it. If it cools for too long, it can become hard and break when you cut it. Be sure to cool the biscotti after the first bake for the time stated in the recipe, no more and no less.

Do biscotti harden as they cool?

Yes, after the second bake, as your almond biscotti cools off, they will finish hardening and drying out.

Can I add maple syrup to the biscotti instead of sugar?

I really don’t know. This isn’t something I’ve tested, and it would likely change the structure of the dough and make it spread out more.

Should I use raw or salted macadamia nuts?

You can use either. I used roasted and salted macadamia nuts in mine.

Can I freeze the biscotti with the icing?

Yes, you can freeze them with or without the icing.

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