High Altitude Brown Butter Pecan Biscotti
Perfect for dunking in coffee or hot chocolate, this butter pecan biscotti is made with brown butter, brown sugar, and lightly spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 egg white (for an egg wash)
- ¼ cup pecans, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling the pan occasionally, for about 5 minutes, until the butter is fragrant and nutty golden brown solids have formed on the bottom of the pan. Remove the pan from the heat.
- In a bowl, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and spices and 1 cup chopped pecans.
- Stir the hot browned butter, scraping all the browned bits off the bottom of the saucepan, too, into the flour mixture. Add the eggs and vanilla, and stir the dough until combined. It will be fairly soft and sticky.
- Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Divide the chilled dough into 3 equal portions, about 10 ounces each. Dust the dough with a little flour to keep it from sticking, and shape each portion of dough into a slab (using your hands or a small rolling pin to press it out onto the baking sheet) measuring about 8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Space the slabs of dough 4 inches apart on the baking sheet - they will spread somewhat while baking.
- Brush the top of the dough with the egg white, then sprinkle with the 1/4 cup chopped pecans, pressing the pecans lightly into the dough. For a little extra sweetness, you can also sprinkle the top of the dough with a few tablespoons of granulated sugar, but this is optional.
- 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 the pan from the oven, and let cool for 10 minutes. 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 non-serrated knife (I find that a chef's knife works best) to slice the slabs into individual biscotti about 3/4 inch thick. Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet, turned on their side with the cut side facing up.
- 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.
Notes
Leftover biscotti will keep for a long time, since it's supposed to be dry and crunchy. You can also bake it in advance and freeze for several months.
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