It's always more fun to DIY. Every week, we'll spare you a trip to the grocery store and show you how to make small batches of great foods at home.
Today: Jessie Snyder of Faring Well teaches us to do as the Italians do and eat biscotti for breakfast (but this time, they're vegan).
At first, the idea of cookies for breakfast seems like nothing more than a childhood fantasy. But then the biscotti saunters in with its perfect crumble and healthy (yes, healthy) proteins and fats to keep you full all morning. It's great for dunking in coffee or a cold glass of almond milk. I tend to make a batch of these in the morning for my husband then save a few for dessert in the evening.
More: Make sure your coffee's as good as your breakfast.
There are so many iterations of this treat, but this version is my favorite. The coconut and macadamia add a little crunch and chewiness to the melt-in-your mouth almond cookie base that we can thank the Italians for dreaming up. Coconut oil and maple syrup compliment the almond flour and give a twist to traditional biscotti to make it even healthier. Oh, and did I mention it's vegan? So go ahead, make these biscotti, give them a dunk in the beverage of your choice, and pretend you're in biscotti's hometown of Prato—at least for a moment.
Makes 8 biscotti
1/4 cup raw macadamia nuts
1/4 cup dried coconut (shredded or ribbons)
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil, in solid form
Preheat the oven to 350º F. Roughly chop the macadamia nuts into small pieces to avoid large chunks breaking up the biscotti when you go to slice it later. If you're using coconut ribbons as I did, roughly chop those as well. (Shredded coconut is the perfect size, so no need to chop that further. You can add them as-is.)
In a mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients (almond flour, baking powder, and salt) along with the chopped macadamias and coconut. Mix well with a fork, breaking up any clumps in the almond flour.
Add the maple syrup and solid coconut oil. (If your kitchen is warm and your coconut oil is a liquid, measure 2 tablespoons of the liquid into a small bowl and place it into the freezer until it solidifies, then proceed.) Using a fork, mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until fully incorporated (as shown in the photo above). Using your hands, form the dough into a ball.
Place the ball of dough onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet and shape it into a 4- by 10-inch rectangle that's 1 inch thick. Pat well to make sure there are no cracks.
Place in the oven and bake for 18 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325º F, and let the biscotti cool fully (about 20 minutes).
Using your sharpest serrated knife, carefully cut the biscotti width-wise into roughly eight 1-inch slices and flip them onto their sides. Take it slow to avoid turning your beautiful, fragile biscotti into a crumbly mess. Return them to the oven and bake at 325º F for an additional 10 minutes, until they're slightly crispier. Remove them from the oven and let them cool fully and harden before serving.
See the full recipe (and save and print it) here.
Photos by Jessie Snyder | Faring Well
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