Gluten-Free Biscotti

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, then lightly mist the surface with spray oil.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the pecan flour, almond flour, coconut flour, sweetener, and baking powder and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and vanilla together until thoroughly blended, then add the butter and whisk for a few seconds, until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky dough that is moldable (see page 27). Stir in the chopped almonds until evenly distributed.
3. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the dough to the center of the prepared pan. Using the spatula or wet hands, form it into either 1 large oval about 6 inches wide and 10 to 12 inches long, or 2 smaller ovals about 4 inches wide and 8 inches long. Regardless of size, the ovals should be about 3/4 inch tall.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then rotate and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and and still springy when pressed in the center. (It’s important not to overbake at this point, or the loaves will be too difficult to slice.)
5. Let cool on the pan for 2 minutes, then, while the loaf or loaves are still hot, use a chef’s knife to cut them into 3/4-inch slices on a diagonal across the oval. (If the loaves cool too much, they will harden and the pieces will shatter and fall apart when sliced.) Use a metal or plastic spatula to transfer the slices to a wire rack, flat side down, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart. If you can’t fit them all on one wire rack, use two.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 275°F (135°C). Put the wire rack with the biscotti back into the oven—rack, biscotti, and all—and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the wire rack, flip the biscotti over (only if necessary for even coloring), then bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or as needed, until all sides of the biscotti are golden brown and feel crisp.
7. Let the biscotti cool on the rack for about 45 minutes, or until completely cool.
8. Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze. Combine the chocolate and butter in the top of a double boiler and cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, until melted and
9. smooth. Alternatively, you can combine them in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave at medium heat. The chocolate will melt quickly in the microwave and will be damaged if it overheats, so use short, 15-second intervals and stir in between. Once the chocolate is almost melted, use even shorter intervals.
10. When the biscotti are completely cool to the touch, dip one or both ends of each into the chocolate glaze. Return them to the wire rack and let sit until the chocolate hardens (or, if you can’t wait that long, set a few in the refrigerator to hasten the process). See the sidebar above for alternative methods of applying the chocolate glaze.

Variation

Chocolate Biscotti: If you can eat standard chocolate, sweetened with sugar, melt 1/4 cup (2 oz / 57 g) of butter or butter substitute with the chocolate chips, instead of 2 tablespoons, to make the glaze more fluid.

Alternate Methods for Applying Chocolate Glaze

To drizzle the glaze over the biscotti in a decorative pattern, use a rubber spatula to transfer the glaze into a plastic sandwich bag or disposable piping bag. Work the chocolate into one corner of the bag and, if using a plastic bag, cut a tiny tip off of that corner. Pipe the chocolate onto one flat side of all of the biscotti in a crisscross pattern. You can also drizzle the melted chocolate off the end of a spoon or spatula in squiggles. Let sit until the chocolate hardens.

You can also use a pastry brush, rubber spatula, or icing spatula to spread chocolate across one flat side of the biscotti for a more solid glaze. Again, let the biscotti sit until the chocolate hardens.

Reprinted with permission from The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking by Peter Reinhart & Denene Wallace, copyright © 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Purchase at amazon.com.