Almond Earl Grey Biscotti

Ingredients

For the biscotti

2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoons (6 g) baking powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup (112 g) unsalted butter, softened

¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar

1 tablespoon (6 g) lemon zest

2 tablespoons loose earl grey tea leaves (6 g, roughly 3 standard teabags)

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (120 g) roughly chopped roasted, unsalted almonds

For the glaze

½ cup (50 g) powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Enough hot water to make a drippy, but not runny glaze (1-2 tablespoons)

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160℃). Line a half sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, lemon zest, and loose tea leaves until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat thoroughly until combined, scraping down the mixer and beater.

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the butter mixture and mix on low speed until a soft, sticky dough forms but a few spots of flour remain. Add the almonds and mix until combined and all flour is incorporated.

Scoop roughly ⅓ of the dough onto the center of the baking sheet and pat into a log 2 inches wide by 8 inches long. Leaving space between, repeat twice more with the remaining dough. The dough will be sticky - you can flour your hands lightly, but don’t worry too much about getting the shape perfect. These logs expand a lot as they bake, so space them as evenly as you can.

Bake for 30 minutes, until puffy, spread, and golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. Then, gently slide the logs onto a cutting board and cool for another 5 minutes.

Cut the logs into ½ inch thick slices on the diagonal and place back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, cut side down. Bake again for 10 minutes, then turn each of the slices over to expose the other cut side. Bake until edges are golden, another 10-15 minutes.

Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and cool completely. While the cookies are cooling, make the glaze (if using) by whisking together the vanilla and powdered sugar. Add hot water, one teaspoon at a time, until the glaze is thick but drips continuously.

Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cookies and allow to dry before plating and serving. You can place the cookies back on the same parchment-lined baking sheet to catch the drips from the glaze, if desired.