Today I was totally successful at inspiring frustration and anger in at least several people. At least several. Ooooh my goodness. Have you ever had one of these days? It’s the kind of day when you think the world (or at least all of the people around you) have gone mad, only to realize that you are the common denominator… meaning that you, in fact, are the common jerk? I’m completely talking about myself here. You are a kind and lovely person who never loses yourself to angrybears. I am not always as kind… and that’s why you inspire me.
Since I was in a crunchy attitude, I made the appropriate cookies. These biscotti are crunchy and sweet… and I guarantee that, when served with a bitter cup of black coffee, they inspire an attitude adjustment. They help flip the switch. Yes… I use food to adjust my feelings. Welcome to my real life living.
I’d like to now entice you to make candied pecans. This can go one of two ways. You may want to attack me with a happy bear hug… or you may want to kick me in the shin. These nuts are so good, they usually inspire a dramatic response.
Raw pecans are coated in a sweet and spicy egg white glaze.
It’s a drippy business.
Candied pecans are crusty, sweet, and crunchy gems.
We’re going to bake up two cups of pecans, but only add about 1 1/2 cups into the biscotti dough.
You see what we did there? That leaves us 1/2 cup for snacking!
This is a ‘know thyself’ situation…
Biscotti dough is simple and spiced.
Cinnamon and nutmeg will do the trick.
Biscotti dough is tenderly moist, but not overly wet.
Could this dough get any nuttier? It’s a good thing you snacked so hard.
Biscotti dough is shaped into a perfect and flawless rectangular log of dough.
… or you could just press it into a haphazard rectangle with finger marks all over it, and call it a ready.
Here is where biscotti magic begins.
The slicing of the cooked and slightly cooled dough.
Here we have a choice. Flip and double bake the biscotti for a crispy cookie (perfect in you’ve got a crunchy attitude), or single bake them and leave the cookies soft and tender.
Pecan studded and sweetly spiced. These cookies are dry and hard to the tooth. They do well with a good dip into black coffee. The toasted pecan flavor makes them alluringly sweet with the candy coating. Consider these crunchy (attitude adjusting) dipping cookies.
Candied Pecan Biscotti
makes about 2 dozen biscotti
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla
For Pecans:
1 large egg white
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2 cups raw pecan halves
Start by making the pecans. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk egg white until the whites have foamed into small white bubbles. Add sugar, spices, and salt. Whisk until thick and opaque. Add pecans and toss to coat. Once thoroughly coated, spoon pecans onto prepared baking sheet. Leave any extra coating in the bowl.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until nuts are fragrant and toasted golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before chopping and incorporating into biscotti batter.
To make the Biscotti:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and arrange two baking racks in the upper portion of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, fit with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Scrape down the down and beat in the egg followed by the egg yolk. Beat in the vanilla extract.
Add the dry ingredients to the creamed butter all at once. With the mixer or just with a spatula, bring all of the ingredients together until a somewhat stiff dough is formed. Fold in 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans.
Divide the dough in two on the two making sheets. Shape each half of dough into a 9-inch long and 1 1/2-inch wide log. Bake the two sheets on two different racks in the oven for 20 minutes. Rotate the cookie sheets for even baking and bake for 20-25 more minutes until golden and firm to the touch.
Remove from the oven but keep the oven on. Let biscotti cool until able to handle. Using a serrated knife, cut logs into 1/2-inch wide diagonal slices. Place biscotti cut side down on baking sheet and sprinkle with more cinnamon sugar. Bake again until pale golden, about 10-15 minutes.
Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
115 Responses
I’ve been making this recipe for well over a year now! I love it dunked in chai tea. I have had several requests to make this and I’m taking orders for it too! Thank you for the awesome recipes. I love your blog and your books and all the praise I recieve from baking YOUR recipes. Thank you thank you!
I just made these, with a few changes. I didn’t do the candied pecans, I just chopped up some finely and put them in the batter. I also skipped the nutmeg and used less cinnamon. I also sprinkled sugar and cinnamon on the slices before baking them. This was a very good basic biscotti recipe, I’m going to use it in the future but change up the mix-ins and flavor. Thanks for sharing!
OMG.. These things are amazing.. I have been wanting to make biscotti since I got back from Italy but I couldn’t find some random ingredient for the kind that I had there but these completely make up for it.. So sweet and crunchy.. I may have already eaten four of them since they came out of the oven no more than 5 minutes ago..
Hi Joy!
I am making these right now! I LOVED the dough! So soft & pliable. Everything & anything I have ever baked from your site has been delicious! Thanks so much for all your great ideas. ?
Thank you thank you thank you! Made these not too long ago. This has become one of my favorite recipes. Love the fact that there is left over pecans, great for snacking or in waffles!
Now I am in need of a good vanilla or red velvet cup cake recipe for Valentines day, any recommendations?
Oh I love your biscottis ! Beautiful creation!
Joy, I just made these tonight and they are delicious! I can’t wait to have them in the morning with coffee. Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Can i Substitute the Pecans for Almonds. I’m more of an Almond type of guy.
go for it!
I shared your Candied Pecan Biscotti on Facebook. Haven’t made them in a while after making them 3 weeks in a row. (gave some to my mom – who loves nuts) for Mother’s Day.) I ended up eating them all day. Biscotti – not just for breakfast anymore! :)
I just made these! My dough was a little crumbly to start with so I was worried but it was easy to shape and they’re super tasty! Thanks, Joy!
Wow, these turned out absolutely fantastic!! I used almonds instead of pecans, and they turned out delicious :)
The intense nutmeg flavor with the hint of cayenne really make these pop. They are really something special! Thank you for the excellent recipe and detail – I’ve never made biscotti before, so photos and description of consistency was really helpful! Ok, sorry to gush all over your page… but bravo!!
Can you bake the two logs on the same baking sheet?
i would say no, as the logs spread substantially.
Such beautiful pictures, too!
I made these just a couple days after your post. They were a huge hit! I didn’t use quite 2 cups pecans, but I still had plenty left for snacking. I made the recipe exactly as written otherwise, and I didn’t have any problems. Biscotti is tricky to work with and is a challenge for inexperienced bakers. Practice makes perfect!
I tried making these- I followed the recipe exactly even taking to ‘spoon’ the flour out of the bag- but the dough was terrible it was so crumbly I had trouble forming it into a log shape whatsoever! Blahh I am a huge fan of your blog I even got your book but these cookies were just a major fail. Sorry :(
Joy – I’m currently working on the biscotti and wondering if 325 was the right temp?? The biscotti on the bottom tray was already burning on the bottom after the first 20 minutes…. And racks are toward the top of the oven as instructed. Worse yet, I had tried to double the batch to have biscotti for Mother’s Day….. Now I have 4 biscotti logs at various stages of baking, all dark on the bottom.. Darn.
Holy crap, sign me up!
Hey Joy!
I was thinking of making biscotti this weekend, and I wanted to run something by you: I read in the King Arthur Flour cookie book to give the 1/2 baked biscotti a slight spritz of water before slicing (less crumbling was the desired outcome, I think). Thoughts? I’m not saying I want to hose down the suckers, but I didn’t know if it would change the texture at all if I did this. Thoughts?
mm.. biscotti- I love.
Especially in the summer.
xoxo.
My Facebook status was “Tired, cranky and mean.”, today. So I made these. Maybe it was because I was mean that I killed the biscotti part. I’ve made biscotti may times but ‘murder’ would be the right word to use here. However I did make the candied nuts to perfection and they were STELLAR!! I will have to try this again when I’m not so prickly. Thanks for the post, Joy.
Every little thing about this recipe is totally right on. As Tina Fey would say, “I want to go to there.”
Also, a couple of sweet gals got me your cookbook as part of a housewarming gift when I moved to a new place this weekend. I am oh-so-ready to get down with some biscuits etcetera!
Score two for me and you!
Biscotti – good. Biscoti dough – even better! This looks delicious!
You know, I’m not going to lie, I don’t think I’ve ever even tried biscotti before. Why? Because there is almost always nuts and I don’t really like nuts, especially pecans. I did however make your Dark Chocolate and Anise Biscotti from your cookbook today and they are AMAZING and I’m sure, if you like pecans, these would be just as awesome. I’ll probably try making this for my boyfriend who loves pecans. I think your totally awesome and I’m a big fan of your blog. Everyone has crunchy days but hey thats real life.
I’m not the big on biscotti but I know a few people that love them. For some reason I still find this recipe really interesting. I’m actually now in the mood to try them!
Brings back memories of buy biscotti in the local Italian bakery with my Grandma. Nice!
I love biscotti!! AND I think it may be time to make it again!! Hey, did you know you do some of the same recipes as megabite.com ?? SHE is amazing too.
Lord love the candied pecan!
i did not know you could make a soft biscotti…since i don’t drink coffee to dip it in, all these years i thought biscotti was just a tooth shattering waste. you have blown my mind and opened my world.
Um. Yes?
this was totally me today. I was cranky and mean and made people mad. if i wasn’t studying for finals I would whip these up for the morning…because I am in serious need of an attitude adjustment. planning these for the very near future. here’s to new mercies tomorrow and a new day to try again!
I’ve never tried candied pecans, but I have had both almonds and peanuts that have received a similar treatment, and boy oh boy did they make me happy…
oh my goodness. You had me at candied pecans. Your post makes me feel better about life. I made 3 kindergarteners cry at school today. I felt like a monster. But these would for sure make me feel better…
Where oh where does one find raw pecans? Have been able to find raw peanuts (for brittle) but not pecans.
That sounds really yummy, I can relate to the attitude adjustment food theory – do it all the time :)
This looks so so good. I’ve never tried candied pecans, and that’s going on the list. I’m not a fan of crunhy cookies, so biscotti isn’t high on my favorites, but this one seems like a must try!
Mmm candied pecans and biscotti. This sounds amazing, even though I’m not in a crunchy mood. But sometimes a crunchy cookie is what you crave and now I want a crunchy cookie.
Totally read the recipe title as “candied bacon biscotti.” So then, when I read it, I was like, where’s the bacon? And, I’m not even bacon-obsessed. I’m happy with the candied pecan picture for sure.
Oh, you made me feel like going to Italy! Might just settle with a batch of these heheheh…
Wow, those look nutty and crunchy and generally delicious. I love that you bake to give yourself an attitude adjustment- I think that’s a ‘know thyself’ moment too.
These are the most perfect cookies I can imagine. I love biscotti, I loved pecans, I loved candied things! I need these in my life.
I’ve been dunking biscotti into my coffee since my mom got the habit started when I was a wee little girl. I’ve never made it myself though. How horrible is that!? This looks like it would help turn around any mood.
Yum, this must be delicious with coffee!
Oh boy, how I can relate. There have been certain days in my life I have been compelled to improve the whole world, in my eyes anyway, in only 3 hours. Shish. Your lovely recipe and comments inspire me to calm down, behave, and make your lovely biscotti and crunch away the next time I feel the urge to improve the world.
I need a major attitude adjustment this week.
Biscotti is in order. Firing up the coffee maker!
oh i want these immediately. and then for a seriously long time afterwards too.
and look! you can give these to all of the crazyface people as a ‘sorry my ridiculousness got in the way of your day’ present. i’d forgive you.
Hi Joy! I am having a day like yours yesterday, where everything that comes out of my mouth has a decidedly rude tone to it. Whats up with that? My husband even cleaned the bathrooms, and that is normally a recipe for a fabulous day. These biscotti are in the oven now… I used pecans, almonds and walnuts though ’cause well, I just didn’t have enough pecans. I added some chopped chocolate too, whoops. Thanks for the real life blog post and the recipe! Here’s to Monday!
I think we all have those days. Sometimes it takes a lot to get us there and sometimes only a little. Awareness is always good.
These look very crunchy and like I want to take a couple off the counter and nibble on them during the day. I’d like to try the same recipe with candied pistachios.
I’ve never had biscotti before, never mind making it. But, new things are always good, especially when it comes to food. This sounds like a perfect spring food, perfect for a warm Sunday.
Hi Joy,
Nothing to do with biscotti but I’m really curious about something. Do you really have that large supply of dishes and background scenery? Do you take pictures in your kitchen or are the pictures taken in a warehouse full of table clothes and stacks and stacks of plates? I saw a behind the scenes story about cooking shows and you know and I know that the shows have a stylist with limitless amounts of kitchen accesories. Just curious. Thanks.
Candied pecans?? yummy. The key question is do I stop at candying the pecans or actually keep going and make the biscotti? And I’m with you, baking is a great way to deal with angrybears – the end product makes me a happy bear!!
Oh yum. I’m carrying around the type of crunchy attitude that tells me I don’t have time for baking. I think it’s time to shrug it off and make the time! Candied pecans are worth it. Thanks for this!
These look fantastic!! They would definitely turn my mood around :D
I love candied nuts and what a great idea to add them to biscotti! I bet these are so great dipped in a cup of tea or a latte!
These look amazing. My mom makes the best biscotti and they are indeed mood changing:) I like that you used pecans instead of almonds- these look incredible!
Thanks for the extra candied pecans to snack on. ;)
Candied pecans are my weakness! This recipe looks amazing.
Hi Joy,
I’m not sure I can get cayenne pepper where I live and I’m not familiar with its taste. Can you recommend other spices that can replace it (dried chili, paprika?).
Thanks!
What a delicious idea! Pecans are the best nut ever! :)
LOL! I should’ve known you’d have it covered with extra candied pecans for snacking! I was getting nervous thinking if I made the pecans, they’d never make it into the biscotti!
Great recipe, Joy, once again!
This was the best blog entry ever. So appropriate for the day I’m having.
I love the idea of crunchy cookies for a crunchy mood! I love these kind of cantuccini – perfect dipped in dessert wine :-)
I’ve totally had days when I thought the rest of the world was bonkers when in fact I was the one wearing cranky pants and messing everything up…actually it happens for a few hours every week (I have chronic migraines that usually start off with crazy-town mood swings. I’ll get angry and not very nice and not understand why everything’s topsy-turvy till BOOM…massive headache). The people who love you will still love you after all of it…in the mean time biscotti should help :)
Oh Joy!!! Biscotti Nirvana?!?!?!?!?
Yum these would also be good dunked in chocolate!
I’m going to try my hand on biscotti starting with your recipe! It looks simplier than I imagined.
I get one of these days too. Good food and writing about it helps to put things in perspective I guess
these sound sooooo good!
I like biscotti with rough edges on the cut side. Mine always have smooth edges. Any suggestions on how to slice them so that the edges are coarse?
candied pecans are my favorite. i have to give this a try.
These are just calling for milk or coffee dunking!
Oh, yum. Perfection. Yes, I use food as an attitude adjuster too. Is this healthy? Probably not. . . . I don’t think I care, though. When I’m angry at the world, I usually dip my hand into a bag of highly processed candy – that’s even worse. Some people reach for gin – I reach for sugar. . . . I think biscotti would be a step in the right direction at least! Why can’t broccoli help me out!
Joy!!
I just got my enjoy gift!! I actually squealed!
A boy i like is coming to visit on saturday and im going to back him something special now!
It took a long time but it was so worth the wait! Thank you!!
Alice
I had one of these days yesterday too! I thought my sister was being a jerk as well as my husband—but then I realized it was just my own lousy attitude. And I handled the whole thing by baking a Lemon Curd Cake! Thanks for this post!
great recipe!
candied pecans might be the best thing ever ….
xo, cheyenne
Crunchy attitude adjusting dipping cookies – could there be a greater thing?
I’m not really into pecans (and they’re really hard to get here in Europe), but I’m sure walnuts would work just as well…
Anyways: thanks for another awesome recipe!
I made biscotti at the weekend but mine in no way looked as nice as yours, they’re all lumpy and bumpy and not in a good way! Love the addition of candied pecans here!
Here’s the thing: I don’t think I will be able to make these biscotti because I will eat the candied pecans before being able to incorporate them in the dough. I know I won’t be able to prevent myself from doing it…
Maybe I’ll just do the biscotti without the pecans…how sad that is?
Now my breakfast doesn’t look so tasty… I want some of those!
Pecans and coffee are a win win in my book. A definite mood improver :-)
ahh the cure for crunchy attitude is crunchy cookies! seems so obvious cookies are a cure all for all things :) love!
joy you are too cute! angrybears, i love it (:
this biscotti looks absolutely amazing of course
so does everything else on your blog!
but i love pecans, and candied pecans are even better!
thanks (:
I can’t believe that you’d be the common denominator in anything other than amazing recipes and goodies :)
Candied Pecans are so awesome and I seriously have to not be around them. Or I will keep on eating them til they’re…gone!
Yes I have those days. “Angrybears”…haha I love it. I love biscotti, too! The addition of candied pecans is pure genious.
oh yeah, I have days like that!
baking biccies seems like a better thing to do, and my, they look good.
It happens to the best of us Joy! It does however, take a true lady to realize when we’re the common denominator :) Off day –> yummy biscotti is more than ok with me!
I have those days and moments too and it is not pretty! But you know? We can’t always be graceful and recognizing our mistake and feeling bad for acting that way means we are aware of what we did and will hopefully try not to act that way again. This biscotti looks awesome and the candied pecans make it extra special!
Glad to hear your day was made better with an awesome crunchy treat. Yes, pecan biscotti and bitter, bitter black coffee would make for an instant mood adjustment for me as well. I hope your day got better!
I’m working on a paper at 2am in Boston right now….the sight of these biscotti is making me feel a little better.
Working on a paper in Boston too at 7am. I get my “finals” agression out by baking too sometimes… it’s a good solution to being overwhelmed.
I want these for breakfast, lunch, dinner and in between. Ok, bye.
Love, love, love biscotti. And the addition of candied pecans looks amazing. These would be perfect to grab-and-go in the mornings on the way to work. And yes, I totally have those days inspiring frustration and anger in people, especially when driving!
I love biscotti’s with crunchy bits in em’ Kinda like a version of a hot, Italian Vespa boy’s power bar…..Did I just say hot?
I like how you transferred your crunchy attitude into the nuts. When I’ve got my angrypants on, kneading and slapping the heck out of dough is my kind of therapy.
awww I hope that tomorrow is better for you! Don’t worry about pissing people off. You can’t please everyone.
oooh I have those days a lot, often because my sometimes monotone voice (hey, I’m deep in thought) makes me sound like I’m serious instead of joking.
I just made candied pecans recently, too!
https://winnercelebrationparty.com/home/post/90568/on-the-end-of-law-school/
But this time, I wised up and didn’t go anywhere near the melted sugar–I tried this, oh, six years ago, straight out of college (didn’t know better) and ended up burning a hole in my finger. The pecans I used are from my boyfriend’s family’s (giant) pecan orchard in AZ. They’re commercial farmers, and lucky for me, this means bags and bags of fresh pecans. If you’re ever in need, just yell!