Almond biscotti are my go-to bake. The recipe is so simple I never managed to get it wrong, not even on my first try. I make a big batch once a month or so, keep a handful for myself, and take the rest to the office. I'm convinced this is one of the reasons I have a job :P PROTIP: do dunk them in coffee. They are supposed to be hard and dry.
Tiramisù is also simple to make - no baking required! Homemade is infinitely better than anything you get almost anywhere, including some restaurants (and during my travels throughout Italy I made a point of trying every tiramisù [and Carbonara] I crossed paths with). PROTIP: leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours before consuming. The flavours mix and the dessert becomes twice as delicious.
There's no wrong place to ask for an almond biscotti recipe.
This recipe I'm now sharing with you has been lovingly passed from nonna to nipotina, generation after generation... until I found it on some random website.
* 250g plain flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 180g caster sugar
* 1 pinch salt
* 25g butter, melted and cooled
* 2 eggs
* 175g almonds, coarsely chopped
1) Mix the flour with baking powder, then add sugar, vanilla sugar and salt. Form into a mound with a hollow in the middle.
2) Pour the butter and eggs into it and knead to a dough. Knead in the chopped almonds. Form the dough to a ball, adding more flour if necessary. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.
3) Line a baking tray with baking parchment and preheat oven to 200 C / Gas 6.
4) Cut dough into 6 pieces and shape each into a 25cm log. Arrange logs on a baking tray, leaving enough space for them to spread whilst cooking. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
5) Allow them to cool a little, then cut into 1cm slices. Lay on a baking tray and bake for another 8-10 minutes at 200 C / Gas 6 until golden-brown.
That's one of my first attempts. Note that the dough has been rolled and flattened before the first bake - I don't do that anymore, which makes the biscotti fluffier. Here's a more recent batch: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=212037919144199&set=...
One of my first internet finds of the 1990s was Corby Kummer's Almond Biscotti.
His recipe seems to indicate it has less fat than traditional or something like that I couldn't find the official website but I see this website has it: http://dendritics.com/scales/biscotti.asp
They turned out well really hard so hard you can't eat them by biting them you have to dunk them.
Tip you need a food processor the batter is so thick your arm will be sore even the food processor struggles.
Tiramisù is also simple to make - no baking required! Homemade is infinitely better than anything you get almost anywhere, including some restaurants (and during my travels throughout Italy I made a point of trying every tiramisù [and Carbonara] I crossed paths with). PROTIP: leave in the fridge for at least 24 hours before consuming. The flavours mix and the dessert becomes twice as delicious.