Today’s Chocolate Chip Candied Orange Peel Biscotti are a family favorite. We make them over the holidays and everyone looks forward to having them every year.
Biscotti may look intimidating but they are super simple to make. Just don’t cream the sugar and butter like you normally do, you don’t want a lot of air in the dough. Beat until it is blended but still in clumps. Mixing after the other additions will fully blend everything together while keeping the dough fairly dense.
While it may be typical to double bake biscotti for a hard dipping cookie, I prefer a softer version that is easier to eat. A second bake is optional – I don’t drink coffee so no dipping for me LOL.
Once the cookies are baked, you want to slice them fairly quickly – as soon as you can handle them. You can use a hot pad to hold the bar of cookies while you cut them into 1/2-inch slices. If you wait too long, the cookies will crumble instead of slicing cleanly.
And while a serrated knife is often suggested, I’ve found that using my 10-inch slicing/carving knife works the best. Just be sure whatever knife you use is very sharp and it will cut right through!
One ingredient that you may not recognize in this recipe is Fiori di Sicilia, a specialty item from King Arthur Flour. It is a cross between floral, citrus, and vanilla and gives your baked goods a flavor similar to the elusive essence of Italian baked goods such as panettone. The Artist loves it and I don’t have too many opportunities to use it, so I was excited to include it in these biscotti. If you don’t want to buy it, just use vanilla which will be equally delicious.
I love the combination of chocolate and orange, but you can use any additions you like. Just be sure that the pieces are small so they don’t cause the cookies to break on their own. I like to use mini chocolate chips so they are distribute throughout and you get chocolate in every bite!
A benefit of these biscotti is that they hold up extremely well so you can bake them a day or two ahead and free yourself up for preparing the rest of the food for your big day.
I hope you will make and enjoy these Chocolate Chip Candied Orange Peel Biscotti. They are perfect for every celebration!
Did you enjoy this recipe? Let me know in the comments, I love hearing from you!
Key Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Candied Orange Peel Biscotti:
- Gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour, baking powder
- Salt, unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, Fiori di Sicilia or vanilla
- Mini dark chocolate chips, chopped candied orange peel
PRO Tip:
To help keep the biscotti from shattering when slicing, do it when the logs are still quite warm. I use an oven mitt to protect my hand and hold the log steady as I saw it into slices.
How to make Chocolate Chip Candied Orange Peel Biscotti:
- Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside; cream the butter and sugar together about 1 minute the add eggs, one at a time, and add the vanilla
- Add the dry ingredients and blend just until combined; mix in the chocolate chips and candied orange peel; divide dough in half, then roll each half into a log about 14-inches long – make them tall because they will spread out while baking
- Place each dough log onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in a 300°F oven for 1-1/2 hours, switching baking sheets halfway through, top to bottom and front to back
- When the logs are firm to the touch, remove from the oven and slide them onto a cutting board, cooling slightly
- Cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices; if you want crisper cookies, lay the slices cut side up on the baking sheets and slip back in the oven for another 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown
- Cool completely on wire racks; can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks
PRO Tip:
Fiori di Sicilia is a unique and special flavoring that is sold by King Arthur Flour. It has an aroma and flavor similar to a blend of vanilla and citrus with floral notes. It is intoxicating and you’ll find excuses to include it in your baking as often as possible. If you’ve ever tried to make Panettone and felt something was missing, I’ll bet you would love Fiori di Sicilia!
PRO Tip:
When you buy oils for flavoring foods, also buy squeezable eyedropper bottle toppers so you can control the amount of the strong oils that go into your recipes. Often just a few drops will flavor an entire batch of cookies, frosting, or candies. My favorites come from LorAnn and you can buy them from the online shop. Very intensely flavored, a little goes a long way!
Recommended Tools (affiliate links; no extra cost to you):
- Kitchen scale
- Chef’s knife
- Cutting board
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Baking sheets
- Parchment paper sheets
- Slicing knife
Gluten-Free Tips:
You can adjust any recipe to gluten-free by using 120 grams of my favorite gluten-free flour blend per cup. This recipe was written using this flour blend. If you are using another brand of gluten-free flour, whisk the mix, spoon it lightly into a measuring cup until mounded, level off the top with a straight edge, and weigh the flour. Use that weight as your standard per cup of that specific flour. Commercial blends such as Pamela’s, Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, or King Arthur Measure for Measure are all good choices.
Chocolate Chip Candied Orange Peel Biscotti (Gluten Free)
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups (300g) gluten-free flour blend or all-purpose flour
- 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
- 8 tbsp (1 stick; 113g) cool, unsalted butter
- 1-1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
- 2 lg eggs
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract or Fiori di Sicilia (available at King Arthur Flour)
- 1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup chopped candied orange peel
Instructions
- Position racks in the center and top third of the oven and preheat to 300°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on low speed just until combined, about 1 minute. Do not over beat. One at a time, beat in the eggs and mix in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture and blend just until almost combined. Add the chocolate chips and orange peel and mix until evenly distributed.
- Divide the dough in half. On a floured work surface, roll each piece of dough with your hands to form a thick log about 14-inches long. Make sure they are fairly tall because they will spread a lot. Place one log on each baking sheet.
- Bake, switching the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back after 45 minutes. Continue baking about another 45 minutes or until the logs are firm to the touch, approximately 1-1/2 hours total time. (Don’t overcook – start checking after 1 hour). Remove the sheets from the oven.
- Slide the logs onto a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. While still warm, use a very sharp knife to carefully cut the cookies into 1/2-inch-thick slices. If you want crispier cookies, arrange the sliced cookies back on the baking sheets, with the cut side up. Bake until the biscotti are golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. (I don't usually do a second bake.)
- Transfer to wire racks and cool completely. The cookies can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Adapted from a recipe in The Baker's Dozen Cookbook
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