Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

I recently bought a small bag of lemons, as I was making a recipe that needed a decent quantity of lemon juice. I never know how many lemons I would need, so I bought a bag that would have more than enough. I was good, and ended up with a few lemons left. I went looking for recipes, and realized that I hadn’t make biscotti in a while. I like making biscotti as it comes together easily. 

Now, I will admin that I don’t like super dry, crunchy biscotti. When you make your own, you can adjust to your own taste! The baking times mentioned below are guides, and I tended to use the shorter of the baking times. That is especially true for the biscotti once they are cut into individual cookies. I think I baked the cookies about 6-8 minutes per side. They were crunchy, but not too crunchy.

I think that lemon pairs wonderfully with pistachios, and I was so happy I had recently picked up pistachios at the store. I always think that I have pistachios, but then I check and often I had already used them. For once I was proactive and stocked up ahead. While biscotti are never my favorite, I really like the pistachios in these cookies. They add a good crunch, with the biscotti themselves being ever so slightly softer. I have made a few recipes with lemon and pistachios, I should look and see what other recipes are out there. 

Lemon Pistachio Biscotti
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lemon zest
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3  eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 cup salted pistachios

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Heat the oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the lemon zest and whisk again; set aside. In a large mixer bowl, beat the butter, eggs, and sugar on medium until light. Add the lemon extract and mix to combine. With the mixer running on low, gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Fold in the pistachios with a spatula. 

Shape the dough into a log, about 4” wide and 1” tall. The length of the log will vary, probably 15” to 18”.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. 

Transfer to a cutting board and cut the log into ¾” slices. Place the cookies on the baking sheet cut side down. Bake for an additional 10 minutes, then turn the cookies and bake an additional 10 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool before icing.

Once cool, make the icing: in a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon juice until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add additional lemon juice until the icing is the correct consistency. Allow the icing to set before serving. 

Recipe from Lord Byron’s Kitchen