Savory Cheddar Biscotti Recipe (2024)

By Mark Bittman

Savory Cheddar Biscotti Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(132)
Notes
Read community notes

An hour and six ingredients are all you need for this recipe from Mark Bittman, who urges cooks to step outside the biscotti safety zone of chocolate and hazelnut by substituting cheese, herbs and spices in this twice-baked Italian treat. Shape the dough into a log and bake until firm before cooling, cutting into slices and baking until crisp. A cup of coffee is still the best pairing.

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Ingredients

Yield:About 16 biscotti

  • 2eggs
  • 1cup grated Cheddar cheese
  • 1cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, plus more as needed
  • ½teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾teaspoon salt
  • ¼teaspoon cayenne, or to taste

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (16 servings)

73 calories; 3 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 1 gram monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 7 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 72 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Savory Cheddar Biscotti Recipe (2)

Preparation

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  1. Step

    1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the eggs and cheese in a food processor and process until yellow and thick, about a minute. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne and pulse three or four times, just to integrate the dry ingredients; you don’t want to overwork the gluten in the flour.

  2. Step

    2

    Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead it until it holds together — it may be a bit crumbly at first. Shape the dough into an 8- to 10-inch log, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and gently flatten.

  3. Step

    3

    Bake until the log begins to color and is firm to the touch, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes, then cut on the bias into half-inch slices. Lay the biscotti flat on the baking sheet and bake until crisp and toasted, 15 minutes; turn and toast the second side for another 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

Ratings

4

out of 5

132

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

don

Very cool recipe. I have a shortcut for biscotti. For the second bake, instead of cooking and flipping, I place the biscotti on a baking rack on top of the baking sheet. Does a good job of toasting on both sides.

sfemet

For those who prefer it: 1 cup cheese is 3oz by weight

jet

3 oz for a drier cheese like parmesan, but closer to 4 oz for the cheddar called for in this recipe.

Margaret

Really easy and tasty, great with Bloody Mary's Fathers Day morning. I'll make them a little smaller next time so more of a co*cktail snack and a bit more chili powder. Used ground New Mexico chili instead of Cayenne, which adds more flavor, but maybe less hotness.

jet

Please disregard my earlier post. sfemet is correct, as to grated parmesan. Cheddar is closer to 4 oz per cup.
Sorry for my mistake.

Ruby

Not difficult but not great. I've made them three times. The overall texture is a bit heavy or dense and they turn out kind of dull each time. They're also too salty for my taste. Reducing Cayenne to 1/8 teaspoon was a good move, but I'll try a different recipe for savory biscotti next time.

Renee

After reading the comments I decided to add a 1/2 cup of fresh chopped curly parsley and scallions. The biscotti were quite flavorful and well received.

April

Thanks, I was looking for a recipe that used herbs/spices for the Master garderner fair. I usually stand my pieces upright on the second bake and it saves having to turn them. It works great.

Nora

I was looking for a savory biscotti and this one was the simplest with the ingredients ...I have made this two times and the second time adjusted for 100% whole wheat since that was all I had...I added 2 tablespoons of water to compensate...I also added 1/8 tsp garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper instead of the cayenne, and threw in some chopped cashews(2tbl) ....also used 2 Tbl parmesan.....comes together fast and toasts nicely....I am sure anything will go in this. A winner!

JM

I made them with whole wheat flour. Not a great idea. Kind of chalky and dull. I will use regular flour next time.

Joan

Mark Bittman usually hits a home run, but, even though I like mild food, I found these to be almost tasteless. I used sharp cheddar and the chili....anyone else have this problem?

dotti

Not cheesy or spicy enough for me even with added Parmesan.

Savs

These turned out fine, but they lacked the more delicate texture of some cheese biscotti I've made-- namely the Parmesan Black Pepper biscotti from Smitten Kitchen or the standard biscotti recipe from Cook's Illustrated. Maybe swapping out some of the regular flour for almond flour would help?

Laura H W

Delicious and easy...but be leery of adding the salt as the cheese brings plenty of its own. I make this biscotti with "cheese stubs" (left over bits of cheese) and it turns out beautifully every time. I made a batch today with leftover Swiss cheese, which had a great nutty flavor but was too salty. These biscotti perfectly compliment beer and champagne.

don

Very cool recipe. I have a shortcut for biscotti. For the second bake, instead of cooking and flipping, I place the biscotti on a baking rack on top of the baking sheet. Does a good job of toasting on both sides.

rajchelsea

One of the easier biscotti recipes to make! I doubled it and was still able to mix everything in my processor. I added minced chives to the dough as I kneaded/shaped the logs since I had some from the farmer's market that I wanted to use up. It was a delightful addition!

Fifi Vavoom

For me, a little too salty. I will adjust down next time. Added oregano, Parmesan, and cayenne. Apart from the saltiness, just great!

Marsha

I made this with smoked cheddar and added some minced kalamata olives, should have cut back a little on the salt because of the olives. Good, would make again.

Janet

Can you freeze the dough for baking later?

sfemet

For those who prefer it: 1 cup cheese is 3oz by weight

jet

3 oz for a drier cheese like parmesan, but closer to 4 oz for the cheddar called for in this recipe.

jet

Please disregard my earlier post. sfemet is correct, as to grated parmesan. Cheddar is closer to 4 oz per cup.
Sorry for my mistake.

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Savory Cheddar Biscotti Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to making biscotti? ›

12 Tips For Making The Absolute Best Biscotti
  1. Use room-temperature ingredients. ...
  2. Boost the flavor with spices, extracts, and zest. ...
  3. Toss in some add-ins for flavor and texture. ...
  4. Let the dough chill before shaping. ...
  5. Use floured or greased hands to shape the dough. ...
  6. Shape the dough into a smaller loaf than you want.
May 29, 2023

Is biscotti better with oil or butter? ›

Despite their centuries-old heritage, there is no one perfect way to make biscotti. Some recipes call for eggs only, which is the traditional method, while others swear by butter or oil. The choice is yours; just keep in mind that those made with butter or oil will have both a softer texture and a shorter shelf life.

Should you refrigerate biscotti dough before baking? ›

You guessed it, add the dry ingredients to the large bowl with the wet ingredients. Fold in the pistachios, cardamom, and vanilla extract. Because the dough can be sticky and hard to form, it's important to chill the batter for a good 30 minutes before baking the first time.

How do you keep homemade biscotti crispy? ›

How to Store Biscotti: Maximize Crunch & Prevent Soft Biscotti. To store biscotti, keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. Lining the container with a paper towel will help soak up any excess moisture that finds its way in.

What does baking soda do in biscotti? ›

Baking soda – baking soda helps the biscotti rise and spread. Make sure that your baking soda isn't expired. Sugar- we used granulated sugar for this recipe. You can use caster sugar as well.

What is the difference between Italian and American biscotti? ›

Here it is, a biscotti recipe everyone can enjoy — unlike classic Italian biscotti, which are quite hard, these are light and crunchy. Biscotti bake twice rather than once, and thus take a bit longer start-to-finish than normal drop cookies.

Why does my biscotti crumble when I slice it? ›

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

Can you overmix biscotti dough? ›

The trickiest parts of making them are the mixing and the shaping and baking. Just like biscuits, you can't overmix the dough. I found that if the dough is mixed too much, the biscotti becomes dense and heavy.

How sticky should biscotti dough be? ›

Biscotti dough is inherently sticky. I recommend adequately flouring your hands before working the dough, and if it's still too sticky to handle, add a little flour at a time but just enough so you can work with it.

How far in advance can you make biscotti? ›

Refrigerate until the chocolate is firm, about 35 minutes. The biscotti can be made ahead. Store them in an airtight container up to 4 days, or wrap them in foil and freeze in resealable plastic bags up to 3 weeks.

What happens if you forget baking powder in biscotti? ›

Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat. Baking powder makes dough rise because it contains both a base and an acid in dried form.

What are you supposed to dip biscotti in? ›

The Vino Dunk – Purists would say the only liquid to dip your biscotti in is wine. As they do in Tuscany, you can dip your biscotti into rich red wines, especially those on the sweeter side. Marsala wine and Vin Santo are the wines of choices for dipping.

How do you crisp up stale biscotti? ›

The best way to make soft biscuits crispy again is to put them in the oven at a low temperature (200–250°F) for about 10 minutes. The heat will help dry out the moisture in the biscuits, making them crispy again.

Why do my biscotti crumble when I cut them? ›

A: Overbaking the logs of dough during the first baking can make the slices crumble as you are cutting them. Also, even if the logs of dough are perfectly baked, they will crumble if they are sliced while still warm, so be patient. The logs crumble when you use a dull knife, too.

What makes biscotti unique? ›

The traditional recipe uses no form of yeast or fat (butter, oil, milk). The barely wet dough is then cooked twice: once in slab form, and again after cutting in sliced form, with the second baking defining how hard the biscotti are.

What method is commonly used to achieve the desired light-airy texture in biscotti? ›

To make these cookies, start by whipping eggs and a couple of extra egg yolks together with sugar, vanilla, and almond extract. This step is key to making biscotti that are crisp but not hard. Get the mixture very pale, thick, and airy. All that air will help lighten the biscotti.

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