Power Biscotti
By
These crunchy snacks were specially designed to be nutrient-rich down to their last grain-free bite. Rather than grain-based flour, these biscotti are made with homemade sunflower seed flour. Dried fruit, pepitas, and cacao nibs are folded in to offer pops of texture, while pure maple syrup provides subtle sweetness. These biscotti make a fantastic energizing snack or breakfast that you can grab on your way out the door. Don't forget to decrease the oven temperature to 275°F (135°C) after the first bake time or you'll risk burning the biscotti during the second and third baking rounds. Shared from Blissful Basil by arrangement with BenBella Books. Copyright © 2016, Ashley Melillo. The recipe below is lightly edited to reflect my own testing process.
Yield
14 biscotti
Prep Time
15 Minutes
Cook time
55 Minutes
Total Time
1 Hour, 10 Minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon (7 g) ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) filtered water
- 2 cups (300 g) raw shelled sunflower seeds
- 1 tablespoon (8 g) arrowroot starch
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 cup (60 g) dried cherries, cranberries, or blueberries, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup (53 g) raw pepitas
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) cacao nibs (optional)
- 1/4 cup (60 mL) pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 mL) pure vanilla extract
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed and water. Set aside for 5 minutes to thicken.
- Meanwhile, add the sunflower seeds to a food processor and process for 45–60 seconds, or until you have a coarse flour or fine meal, stopping to pulse several times to ensure even processing. The texture should be flour-like; be careful not to overprocess or you’ll end up with sunflower butter.
- Transfer the sunflower flour to a large mixing bowl and whisk in the arrowroot and sea salt. Stir in the dried fruit, pepitas, and cacao nibs (if using).
- Add the maple syrup and vanilla extract to the small mixing bowl with the flaxseed mixture and vigorously whisk to combine. Pour over the dry sunflower mixture, and use a large wooden spoon to mix well for about 30 seconds. At first it will seem like there isn’t enough liquid, but keep stirring until the liquid is evenly dispersed and you have a damp dough.
- Turn the dough out onto the lined baking sheet, and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Use lightly wet hands to shape and compact the dough into 2 tightly packed rectangles. Each rectangle should be approximately 4 × 6 inches, and just shy of 1 inch thick.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until the edges are light golden brown and each rectangle feels well set, yet retains a soft indentation when gently pressed. Remove from the oven and cool for about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, decrease the oven temperature to 275°F (135°C).
- Once the biscotti rectangles are mostly cool, use a sharp knife to cut them widthwise into 1-inch-thick slices, pressing straight down and rocking the knife back and forth to slice rather than using a sawing motion. You should have a total of 12–14 biscotti, 6–7 from each rectangle.
- Carefully return the biscotti to the lined baking sheet, sliced-side down. Bake for 16–18 minutes. Then, carefully flip each biscotti, and bake for another 16–18 minutes, or until a light golden brown and crisp to the touch. They’ll continue to crisp as they cool, so keep that in mind when testing for doneness.
- Carefully transfer the biscotti to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely. Store in an airtight glass container to maintain crispness. They’ll keep for up to 1 week at room temperature, or you can store them in the freezer for a bit longer.
Oven temperatures may vary greatly, so be sure to keep an eye on the biscotti during all three stages of baking to avoid burning it.