Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (2024)

Soft Biscotti Recipe

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe

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Traditional Italian biscotti is a twice baked cookie that is hard and best when dunked into coffee. My grandmother made a different type- a soft Italian biscotti, one that is soft on the inside but dense and delicious when dipped in a glaze, and decorated with non-perils.

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (1)

Soft Italian Biscotti

We made these for Easter when I was younger but now my husband and I enjoy these for a light breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up. I use vanilla extract but you can substitute anise extract if you prefer these more traditional.

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (2)

Ingredients

Cookies

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

½ cup sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 cup milk

½ tsp baking soda

3 cups flour

2 tsp vanilla extract

icing

2 cups powdered sugar

4 Tablespoons milk

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (3)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400.

Line baking sheets with silicon mats and set aside

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (about 3 minutes)

Add eggs, milk & vanilla and mix to combine.

Add all the dry ingredients and blend together.

Use about one tablespoon of dough and roll out into a rope and then twist into the desired shape.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

While the cookies cool, mix the icing.

Dip the cooled cookie tops in the icing (will be a bit runny) and top with sprinkles if desired.

Let icing dry completely before storing an an airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen.


Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (4)

We roll our cookies into a twist shape just because it is a better shape for dunking into my coffee. You can easily roll them into balls or even a snail shell shape as well. Trust me this is one recipe that you will make all the time.

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (5)

These Italian biscotti cookies freeze well prior to glazing the cookies, simply defrost at room temperature until ready to use and then glaze the cookies. Be sure to wear a cute apron to protect your clothes from icing drips.

BAKING TIP **Be aware the coloring of the non-perils will spread if left in the glaze overnight so If you are making them for a shower or birthday party, glaze the morning of the event.

Happy Baking!

How to Bake in Batches to Make the Most of Your Baking Time

One way to handle your holiday baking is to bake in batches, then freeze and store for the big day. You can do this successfully over a couple of weeks with batch baking and batch preparing.

The biggest thing to remember is to only try a few different types of things in one day, or focus on just one type of baked good in one day. For example, you might want to bake all your quick breads in one day. Another day you can prepare all your cookie dough. Yet another time, you can bake all your fruit pies and so forth. This process makes the most of the time you have, the space you have, and your skill level.

Be Prepared

Don’t try batch baking without a plan of action. Be sure to write down your plans in advance so that you are sure you have enough time to do everything that you’ve planned. To figure out a basic time line, add up the prep time, the baking time for each oven full, and then multiply that by 1.5 to account for a little extra issues happening. Then you should be sure that you have enough time.

Get Everything Ready to Go

Your kitchen should be spotless when you start, and ensure that you have all the ingredients and appliances necessary to make each item ready to go. If you know, for example, that today you’ll be using about 10 pounds of flour, consider using a large bowl to hold the flour so you can easily spoon the flour into the measuring cup, flatten off over the bowl, without having to get into the bag over and over which usually means spillage.

Clean as You Go

Fill your sink immediately with hot soapy water so you can clean as you go. You will want to wash your mixing dishes and other utensils during the baking process so that you can use them again. There’s no point in totally destroying your kitchen as you batch bake, and you don’t have to. Set out a draining board, fill the sink with hot soapy water, and wash as you go. There are many opportunities during baking to wash a couple of dishes, and this will make the clean-up faster, and the process more organized.

All Day Batch Baking

You can set aside a day for batch baking such as a Saturday. Plan for all day baking, which usually entails 8 to 10 hours of work. Ensure that any other chores are done, including the shopping, and the kitchen is clean and ready prior to baking day. It’s important to organize your recipes with some logic behind them. For example, if you need dough to rise, start that first, so that it can be rising as you are preparing other things such as cookie dough or pie crusts. Both can be put in the refrigerator or freezer after preparation while you bake the bread, then baked after you bake the bread while the oven is still hot and ready.

Read each recipe that you plan to use and pay close attention to certain clues. For example, if an ingredient requires a cold kitchen, you’ll want to start that first. If something takes an hour to bake like banana bread, you can use that hour to mix other batter, dough, crust, filling and so forth that you can store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake them.

Organize the kitchen in stations. You will want a station for each type of baked good that you want to create. It’s a lot easier to lay out four pie crusts in pie tins, ready for fillings, than to do one at a time. As much as you can do for one type of thing in one run, do so. A bread making station is also essential. It needs to be a place you can freely flour the counter space, and easily clean up.

Be careful about combining batches in one recipe. If you have a cookie recipe that uses measures instead of weights, it’s better not to do them in more than one batch at a time, but you don’t need to clean the bowl between each batch that you make. Make the lightest type of batch first; for example, make sugar cookie dough before you make chocolate chip cookies, before you make peanut butter cookies. Consider the flavor, the ingredients, and everything before making the batches so that you can wash as little as possible.

The important thing about all day batch cooking is that you can choose to make only one type of baked good or you can make a number of different baked goods depending on how many people you need to feed.

Don’t try to stuff your oven too full. At most, you’ll want to cook two pies, four loaves of bread, and one large sheet of cookies at a time in one oven. Putting too many things in one oven can drastically change the temperature settings. Also, putting a dry item with a moist item in the oven at the same time can change the temperature needs. Read directions, plan ahead, and you’ll be fine.

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (6)

Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe

Yield: 36

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A soft Italian biscotti recipe that is easy to make and tastes just like Nonna's.

Ingredients

  • Cookies
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • icing
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 4 Tablespoons milk
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 400.

Line baking sheets with silicon mats and set aside

In an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. (about 3 minutes)

Add eggs, milk & vanilla and mix to combine.

Add all the dry ingredients and blend together.

Use about one tablespoon of dough and roll out into a rope and then twist into the desired shape.

Bake for about 10 minutes.

While the cookies cool, mix the icing.

Dip the cooled cookie tops in the icing (will be a bit runny) and top with sprinkles if desired.

Let icing dry completely before storing an an airtight container.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 36Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 112Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 23mgSodium: 44mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 0gSugar: 10gProtein: 2g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

If you enjoyed this biscotti recipe, have a look at our other Italian Recipes too!

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Almond Biscotti

Carrot Cake Biscotti

Chocolate Coconut Biscotti

Biscotti from a Cake Mix

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Soft Italian Biscotti Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make biscotti less hard? ›

For softer cookies, simply bake them for a little less time than the recipe specifies. For biscotti that can stand up to dunking, bake until they are as crunchy as you like.

Is biscotti better with oil or butter? ›

Despite their centuries-old heritage, there is no one perfect way to make biscotti. Some recipes call for eggs only, which is the traditional method, while others swear by butter or oil. The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life.

What is the difference between American and Italian biscotti? ›

– American Biscotti: American versions of biscotti often incorporate a broader range of ingredients, including butter or oil, which makes them slightly richer and less hard than their Italian counterparts.

How do you keep biscotti from getting soft? ›

To store biscotti, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. Lining the container with a paper towel will help soak up any excess moisture that finds its way in. Biscotti will stay good for up to a month at room temperature and three months in the freezer.

What is the secret to making biscotti? ›

12 Tips For Making The Absolute Best Biscotti
  1. Use room-temperature ingredients. ...
  2. Boost the flavor with spices, extracts, and zest. ...
  3. Toss in some add-ins for flavor and texture. ...
  4. Let the dough chill before shaping. ...
  5. Use floured or greased hands to shape the dough. ...
  6. Shape the dough into a smaller loaf than you want.
May 29, 2023

Why is my biscotti rock hard? ›

Biscotti are hard, crunchy cookies as they are usually baked twice - the word biscotti is derived from Italian - "bis" meaning "twice" and "cotti" meaning "cooked". Usually the dough is formed into small loaf shapes (similar to a ciabatta loaf) and baked for around 20 minutes, then cooled slightly before slicing.

What does baking soda do in biscotti? ›

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

Why are my biscotti not crunchy? ›

In summary, to produce a consistent crunch in your biscotti, it is necessary to measure and sift the ingredients. It may take some trial and error before you find out what ratio of flour-to-fat that works best for you, but remember that sifting and measuring your ingredients helps create perfect crispiness!

How far in advance can you make biscotti? ›

How Long Does Biscotti Last? Your homemade biscotti will last for up to one month in an airtight container at room temperature. If you want to keep the biscotti longer, you can freeze it for up to three months.

What do Italians eat with biscotti? ›

Since they are very dry, biscotti traditionally are served with a drink into which they may be dunked. In Italy, they are typically served as an after-dinner dessert with a Tuscan fortified wine called Vin Santo. Outside of Italy, they more frequently accompany coffee, including cappuccinos and lattes, or black tea.

What do Italians call biscotti? ›

Italians use the word biscotti when referring to products that Americans call cookies. The word cantucci is used by Italians when referring to the product Americans call biscotti.

What liquor do Italians dip biscotti in? ›

The Vino Dunk – Purists would say the only liquid to dip your biscotti in is wine. As they do in Tuscany, you can dip your biscotti into rich red wines, especially those on the sweeter side. Marsala wine and Vin Santo are the wines of choices for dipping.

How can I make my biscotti less hard? ›

I make Biscotti all the time and for a softer version just cook them less time.. I bake the log for 15 minutes at 375 F then remove from oven let cool. then slice put back in oven for just five minutes standing up... Remove and you are done!

Should you refrigerate biscotti dough before baking? ›

Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time. Prepare a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper then dust it with a little flour. Transfer the batter to the baking sheet and chill in the fridge.

How to tell when biscotti are done? ›

If the biscotto feels soft, like a piece of cake, give it another 5 minutes in the oven. If it feels firm but still gives a bit when you poke it, take it out for rather soft-textured but still crunchy biscotti.

What to do if biscotti dough is too dry? ›

Only thing I can think of is to run it through a food processor to pulverize it and then add a bit of oil, water, and an egg before baking again. Or add water, let it soak in, then add an egg or two to the soft crumbs before baking again.

How do you soften biscotti cookies? ›

Put a piece of fresh white bread on the bottom of the container. Then, put the cookies on top of the bread. If you don't have a piece of white bread, you can use a damp paper towel instead. Just wrap the paper towel in aluminum foil, poke some holes in the foil, and place the foil in the container with the cookies.

Should I chill biscotti before baking? ›

Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time.

How do you make cookies less hard? ›

Another way to soften cookies is by placing the cookies in an airtight container with a damp paper towel. The paper towel will release moisture and help to soften the cookies without making them too soft or mushy. Another way is to place the cookies in a plastic bag with a slice of apple or a damp tea towel.

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