Coffee’s Best Friend: Easy Vegan Biscotti

Biscotti are dry oblong Italian almond biscuits, that are baked twice (that’s what the word means!). Originating in ancient Rome, they were designed to last a long time, without spoiling. They are traditionally dunked in coffee, tea or sweet dessert wine, to soften them up. Avoid caffeine and alcohol for pregnancy/nursing.

These vegan lemon limoncello biscotti (Addicted to Dates) are from a classically-trained Irish baker. An ideal way to use up that bottle of limoncello in your freezer!

Always rinse sweet liquids from bottles before recycling, to avoid attracting insects like ants.

The biscotti dough is formed into long logs, then baked once. After cooling, the logs are sliced and baked a second time to dry them out, for good crunch and long shelf life. Typical flavours are whole almonds, citrus zets (lemon or orange), pistachio, dried cranberries or chocolate chip (some dipped in melted chocolate).

Choose Europe and/or organic almonds, to avoid big brands that may use migratory bee-keeping. Read more on bee-friendly almonds. You could also sub with pistachios or hazelnuts.

Keep biscotti away from pets to due citrus and dried fruits, vanilla, nutmeg, coffee and chocolate.

For these recipes, use a good ice-cold vegan block butter with no palm oil (Flora and Myoko’s are good brands).

Unless you have a food waste bin (made into biogas), it’s best to just bin citrus peels and coffee grounds, as acids could harm compost creatures.

Almond biscotti with a lemon drizzle glaze

Lemon almond biscotti (The PPK) are studded with almonds, and finished with lemon glaze drizzle. The biscotti are made with a flax egg (made with golden flaxseed). Use organic icing sugar (to avoid egg) for the icing.