Lemon Pistachio and White Chocolate Biscotti

A gorgeous holiday biscotti with bright lemon zest and savory pistachio, topped with melted white chocolate.

As I walked into the kitchen this morning and picked up a homemade lemon pistachio biscotti, sipping my freshly French pressed Kona coffee, I looked at this gorgeous breakfast view and knew I had to capture it on camera. It was so delightful. The sun usually peaks in my kitchen at about 9am and is almost too harsh to look at. But at 7am, it’s beautiful. It’s an acquired beauty. It takes a moment to drown out the leaf blowers and early morning lawn mowers, but once you do, there is a peaceful calm. My kitchen looks as though dawn is about to set and is slightly grey. You smell the brew of coffee at 7am on the dot and there are always sweet baked treats lined on the counter-tops. I wanted to capture this moment today..sipping my coffee..in my favorite mug and savoring the simple daybreak.

Biscotti has been the cookie of the year..for me. Last year it was my cherry-pistachio rugelach, this year..it’s biscotti! And a delicious one at that. I love mixing flavors and textures when I’m baking and I am obsessed with anything lemon and lemon zest, So today we have a gorgeous cookie with bright lemon zest and juice and small chunks of pistachios swimming throughout the dough and finally drizzled with sweet white chocolate.

Melting White Chocolate

White chocolate is much different than melting other chocolate because it has a much lower boiling point and can burn very quickly.

The trick to melting white chocolate is to use a double boiler. Have a pot of simmering water and a bowl that can fit snugly on top. The bottom of the bowl should not be touching the water, and the simmering water should ever so slightly and slowly heat the bowl, in which you have your white chocolate in.

As your bowl is slowly heating up, use your spatula to slowly and constantly stir the chocolate. A spoonful of coconut oil helps the chocolate melt evenly as well.

 Coconut oil is a solid fat and melts beautifully when heated, So with 1 bag of white chocolate, add about 2 good sized tablespoons of coconut oil. Allow to melt together slowly and in about 5-8 minutes..you will have glistening, gorgeous and even more delicious melted white chocolate!

How to Make Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

1)  In a large bowl, add the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.

2) Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer is fine), mix together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until everything is incorporated and mixed well.  Next, add 1 egg at a time until mixed together thoroughly.

3) On low speed, add your flour mixture in 3 additions. When you are at your last addition to add flour, put the pistachios in with the flour and coat together so the pistachios are covered with flour. This helps them mix evenly so the nuts don’t sink to the bottom of the batter. Mix everything until just mixed through.

4) Place dough on lightly floured surface. It will be VERY sticking. Add about 1/4-1/2 cup additional flour and coat on all side so it does not feel sticking anymore. Cut dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

 5) When dough is ready, bring it back to your lightly floured work surface. At this point you can either take each half and cut into thirds for mini biscotti or cut in half.

6) Take each piece of dough and gently roll it into a long log, about 9-10 inches long. Place it on a non-stick baking sheet. If you are doing mini biscotti, you can fit 3 logs on your baking sheet. If you’re making larger biscotti, only place 2 because they spread a bit.

7) Bake logs at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.

8) When done, allow to cool enough to handle and then use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti on a very sharp angle. Place cookies cut side up back on the baking sheet and allow to continue baking for another 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.

9) When done, allow the cookies to cool on a wired rack and make the melted white chocolate.

10) To make the melted white chocolate, get a double boiler ready by bringing a small pot of water to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top of the top and make sure that the bottom of the bowl is NOT touching the water.

11) Add the white chocolate chips and coconut oil and slowly stir, allowing both the oil and chocolate to melt. Continuing this until the chocolate is fully melted.

12) Then, use a spoon and drizzle the chocolate over the biscotti. Or you can dip half the biscotti into the white chocolate. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet or wire rack until chocolate solidifies on the cookie.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Lemon Pistachio and White Chocolate Biscotti

A gorgeous holiday biscotti with bright lemon zest and savory pistachio, topped with melted white chocolate.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time45 mins

Chilling20 mins

Total Time1 hr 15 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: lemon biscotti, pistachio biscotti

Servings: 48 biscotti

Calories: 107kcal

Author: Samantha Ferraro

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups plain flour sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder sifted
• Pinch of salt
• 8 tablespoons 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon zest
• 2 Tb lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup unsalted shelled pistachios roughly chopped

White Chocolate

• 11 oz bag white chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil

Instructions

• In a large bowl, add the sifted flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl and set aside.
• Using a stand mixer (or hand mixer is fine), mix together the butter, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice and vanilla. Mix until everything is incorporated and mixed well. Next, add 1 egg at a time until mixed together thoroughly.
• On low speed, add your flour mixture in 3 additions. When you are at your last addition to add flour, put the pistachios in with the flour and coat together so the pistachios are covered with flour. This helps them mix evenly so the nuts don’t sink to the bottom of the batter. Mix everything until just mixed through.
• Place dough on lightly floured surface. It will be VERY sticking. Add about 1/4-1/2 cup additional flour and coat on all side so it does not feel sticking anymore. Cut dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
• When dough is ready, bring it back to your lightly floured work surface. At this point you can either take each half and cut into thirds for mini biscotti or cut in half.
• Take each piece of dough and gently roll it into a long log, about 9-10 inches long. Place it on a non-stick baking sheet. If you are doing mini biscotti, you can fit 3 logs on your baking sheet. If you’re making larger biscotti, only place 2 because they spread a bit.
• Bake logs at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
• When done, allow to cool enough to handle and then use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti on a very sharp angle. Place cookies cut side up back on the baking sheet and allow to continue baking for another 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through.
• When done, allow the cookies to cool on a wired rack and make the melted white chocolate.
• To make the melted white chocolate, get a double boiler ready by bringing a small pot of water to a simmer. Place a glass bowl on top of the top and make sure that the bottom of the bowl is NOT touching the water.
• Add the white chocolate chips and coconut oil and slowly stir, allowing both the oil and chocolate to melt. Continuing this until the chocolate is fully melted.
• Then, use a spoon and drizzle the chocolate over the biscotti. Or you can dip half the biscotti into the white chocolate. Allow cookies to rest on baking sheet or wire rack until chocolate solidifies on the cookie.

Notes

Recipe adapted from William Sonoma

 

Nutrition

Calories: 107kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 20mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 77IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg