Lemon Pine Nut Italian Biscotti
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Lemon-scented Italian biscotti with pine nuts — perfect for snacks and gifting!
The cookies we call Italian biscotti — crunchy, nutty and twice-baked — are also known as cantuccini.
My Italian grandmother didn’t bake much biscotti, but if she did I imagine that they would taste a lot like these — lightly sweet, crumbly and scented with lemon. They’re perfect for snacking any time of day — with coffee, tea or as they do in Italy, after dinner alongside little glasses of vin santo.
Biscotti are my favorite cookies to make (especially these double-chocolate biscotti), because they don’t require much fussing.
That means no rolling, resting, cutting or decorating. And here’s another bonus — biscotti are perfect for holiday gift giving because they keep so well.
Bake a batch and stash them away for a week or two. When you need something for that last minute cookie tray or hostess gift you can take a deep, cleansing breath…one less thing on your holiday to-do list!
Lemon Pine Nut Italian Biscotti
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1 ½ cups (300 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) freshly grated lemon zest
- 3 ½ cups (420 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ cup (100 g) pine nuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 (160 C) degrees. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Whisk the egg whites in mixing bowl of an electric mixer with ¾ cup sugar to form soft peaks. Set aside (or transfer to another bowl if you only have one mixing bowl).
- Using the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks with remaining ¾ cup of the sugar until pale and thickened, about 3 minutes. On low speed, mix in the melted butter, lemon extract and lemon zest.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Add half the flour mixture to mixing bowl and stir. Add the beaten egg whites, followed by the remaining flour and pine nuts. Stir on low speed until the dough is firm and slightly sticky.
- Divide the dough in half and form each half into a log approximately 2 inches in diameter 12 inches long. Arrange the logs side by side on the baking sheet and bake 25 minutes, or until the logs are firm and form cracks on top.
- Remove from the oven and cool the logs for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board with a wide spatula and cut into ½-inch wide diagonal slices with a sharp knife. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
- Arrange the slices cut-side up on the baking sheet and bake 6 minutes on each side or until light golden and crisp.
Notes
- Biscotti keep well at room temperature for up to a week.
- Freeze biscotti for 1 month. Defrost at room temperature before serving.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Is the flour a typo? Is it 3 1/2 cups flour or 4 1/2 cups. You have it written oddly.
Hi Ree – It should be 3-1/2 cups flour. Thank you for pointing out that error! I corrected the recipe.
Cant wait to try your chocolate biscotti and your lemon biscotti.
Do you have a recipe for a sticky delicious chocolate glaze for a cake?
I hope you enjoy the cookies! I make this glaze for cakes and cookies https://familystylefood.com/italian-chocolate-ring-cake-recipe/#wprm-recipe-container-15641
Just out of the oven — thanks for the inspiration! I happened to have pine nuts and lots of lemons — and exactly, down to the very grain, right amount of flour. Off to the store for cookie-baking supplies! Have a wonderful Christmas in your new home, hope you find many ways to both continue and start new traditions! You are MISSED!
I just mixed this up and the logs are in the oven. The recipe is somewhat confusing. It calls for
1 1/2 C sugar and then accounts for only 3/4 cup in the mixing directions. What about the other 3/4 C?
The recipe calls for baking powder but then refers to it as baking soda in the instructions.
i thought the dough was dry and I think more butter is called for as well as another egg. 3 eggs for
3 1/2 C flour does not seem like enough.
Roux-the-Day – I’m so sorry about the typos! Just updated the recipe. Baking soda in method should read baking powder, and the other 3/4 cup sugar gets added along with egg whites. The quantity of eggs – 3 – is correct. The dough should be sticky but manageable to handle. Let me know how they turn out for you, and apologies again.
FYI – To Roux the Day and anyone else who’s made the biscotti, I’ve just updated this recipe as I noticed it was missing a step – the separated egg whites get whipped with half of the sugar, and added to the mixer alternately with the flour.
I’m baking the biscotti now and they look perfect. Also, depending on the humidity in your kitchen and the brand of flour you’re using, you might need a bit less flour. Today is a cold, dry day and I only needed 3 1/4 cups; keep your eye on the dough during the final moments of mixing. If you see a bit of unabsorbed flour at the bottom of the mixing bowl, you might be not need to add any more.
Thanks! I value and appreciate all of your feedback. I want my recipes to be successful in your kitchen too.
These are delicious cookies. I made them at home and added some Patan ghee to make them more scrspy… And it worked…Guys you should try….Regards…
Karen: I am LOVING having little biscotti dipped in Vin Santa (Italian dessert wine). You must try it over the holidays! (One of many food-like perks to living abroad in Italy for a year;))).
Is there an easy way to print these recipes ??
I make Biscotti every Christmas (well the last 3 yrs) and gift wrap them in a nice container from the Dollar store (yes they have nice ones!) and I usually make double chocolate, or walnut fudge, but this one sounds really really nice with a hot cup of tea. I am a chocolate lover but lemon is sooo refreshing too!
MIchelle, that’s my favorite way to give biscotti too. Sorry about the lack of print feature – let me know if you want me to email you the recipe…cheers!
Isn’t that funny, my Italian grandmother never made them for me either. But my mom makes them all the time. I love the lemon and pine nuts; it’s such a refreshing twist. Happy Holidays to you and your family, Karen!
Susan, yes, the cookies I remember around this time of year were the powdered-sugar coated wandis and the butter balls. Have a happy, joyful holiday!
I love biscotti. The recipe looks easy and sounds delish.
What a lovely combination of flavors. Your biscotti is beautiful!