Biscotti, grown up cookies

So yeah, I know that biscotti just means cookie in Italian. But they seem much more sophisticated, especially the recipes with poppy seeds and ground almonds like the one Dan and I made this weekend. This was my first attempt at biscotti and it won't be my last. This cookie has depth, it's good but also interesting to eat at the same time.



Pistachio Biscotti
Ingredients:

• 1½ cup all purpose flour
• ½ cup ground almonds
• ½ cup ground hazelnuts
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. finely grated orange or lemon zest
• 2 tbs. poppy seeds
  

• 8 tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature.
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
  

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°F [325°F Convection].

Combine first group of ingredients well using wooden spoon OR with a mixer on slow.

Add butter & mix well. Add egg, vanilla, pistachios. Mix until dough has consistency of wet sand.

Turn out onto cookie sheet & form into 2 firm logs, about 2x8-inches & 1-inch deep. Don’t be afraid to use your hands to shape form.

Bake for 20 minutes until golden. Remove from oven & cool to room temperature.

Lower oven to 325°F [300°F Convection]. Cut into ¼-½ inch slices with a serrated knife: thick slices makes a chewier biscotti, at an angle if desired. Lay out on cookie sheet cut side down, like toasting bread. Bake 20 minutes until lightly golden.

Cool until crisp & store in an airtight container.

P.S.
This recipe is courtesy of my friend Lucy. She's an amazing baker, and also Italian, and I love following in her lead.

Also, I ended up adding 2 tbs. of apple sauce to make my wet sand texture more wet. Also, the poppy seeds could be optional, but the orange/lemon zest is really important for finesse.