Pecan, Date & Maple Biscotti

I always thought that those delicious almond biscotti’s made so beautifully by Italian Nonna’s were as tricky to make as fresh pasta, and so for years never tried….and then this happened… and now we can’t stop!  This is one of those recipes that turns out different each time it’s made.  For a really small chewy biscotti leave out the bicarb & vinegar, however for a crisper biscuit make a firmer, drier dough and leave it in the oven longer the second time. 

I love that you can make up so many different varieties of biscotti depending on what is available at any given time.  Try adding cacao for chocolate biscotti, different nuts, from almonds, pecans, cashews, hazelnuts, to pistachio’s and walnuts and your choice of dried fruit– dried cranberries, raisins, figs, or dates.    

This is a vegan, gluten free version of the traditional Italian recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Gluten Free, Vegan

We use all organic ingredients

Makes around 20- 30 biscuits

1 1/4 cups gluten free flour

• We use ½ cup Tapioca Flour, 1/4 cup Sorghum Flour, ¼ cup Hemp Flour & ¼ cup Golden Flaxseed Meal    

OR 

• 1 ¼ cups of The Gluten Free Food Co. Grain Free mix which has Organic Buckwheat Flour, Tapioca Flour, Green Banana Flour,  Coconut Flour, Golden Flax Seed Flour, & Organic Psyllium

1/2 cup roughly chopped, activated pecans (or other nuts of your choice eg pistachio, walnut, macadamia, brazil nut, cashew or almond)

6 fresh dates, roughly chopped, seeds removed (or 1/3 cup dried cranberries, mulberries, raisins or dried figs)

1 tsp bicarb soda

Pinch of salt

2 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp pure maple syrup (or raw honey or coconut nectar)

1/3 – ½ cup almond or coconut milk

1 tbsp coconut yoghurt

1 tsp vanilla powder

TO MAKE

1. Preheat oven to 180 oC.

2. Mix flours, salt, pecans & chopped dates in a bowl.

3. Mix bicarb soda & vinegar together.

4. Add maple syrup, milk & yoghurt to bicarb mix and whisk together until combined well.

5. Add wet mix to dry ingredients. Mix well until dough is reasonably firm (for a drier biscotti or keep a bit sloppy for a chewier version – use extra nut milk to achieve this).

6. Divide mixture in half and shape into 2 logs. Place on baking trays lined with parchment paper and bake for 25-30 minutes or until firm.

7. Allow to cool, and reduce oven temperature to 140 oC.

8. Using a serrated knife, cut each log into thin slices (on the diagonal), and place back on lined baking tray.

9. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until crisp.

10. Cool before eating and if any left, store in an airtight container!