Cinnamon-filled biscotti

One of my favourite coffee accompaniments is biscotti even though I rarely get it nor have I tried making it. Since going wheat free, I haven't had any as the commercially available ones are made from plain flour. Last night, I finally got into the mood of making some at home. 

Ingredients for the biscotti

2 C almond flour, sifted

⅓ C demerara sugar

1 tsp baking powder, sifted

½ tsp xanthan gum, sifted

⅛ tsp Himalayan pink salt

¼ C butter, melted

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted, for brushing biscotti

1 large free-range egg

1 tsp vanilla paste

Ingredients for the filling & topping

2½ tbsp demerara sugar

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

Method

1. For the filling, combine sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
2. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper if needed (I used 2 silicone baking mats).
3. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and vanilla paste. Beat till frothy.
4. In a large bowl, mix together almond flour, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir in butter, egg and vanilla extract until dough comes together. Let dough sit for 30 minutes at a cool room temp.
   
5. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 165°C.
6. Divide the dough (approx. 430g) into two halves (165g each). Turn each half of the dough onto the prepared baking sheets. Form each half into a rectangle approx. 9.5” x 7.5”. Make sure both halves are similar in size and shape, though one could be slightly bigger in size for easier folding.
   
7. Sprinkle one half (the bigger half if there is one) with approx. ⅔ of the cinnamon and sugar mixture. Drape the other half of the dough over it and seal the seams by folding the edges in and smooth the top. Use a spatula to shape the closed-up dough into a neat(er) rectangle.
   
8. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and just firm to the touch. Remove from oven and turn off the oven.
   
9. Brush the large biscotto log with melted coconut oil butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon and sugar mixture.
10. Let cool for 30 minutes. When the biscotti is cooled and ready to be sliced, turn the oven on and preheat to 120°C.
    
11. Using a sharp knife, cut straight down the biscotto log into 15-20 slices (don’t saw back and forth as it tends to crumble the biscuit).
12. Place the biscotti back on the baking sheet cut-side down and bake for 8 minutes. Flip over and bake for another 8 minutes. Turn off the oven and let the biscotti sit inside the oven till cool.
    
13. Serve with coffee. Store the biscotti in an air-tight container.

These cinnamon-filled biscotti were lovely and really went down a treat. The cinnamon-sugar filling ended up with a chewy texture. I'm not entirely sure if this was because of the use of xanthan gum (which I'd never used till now) or because the biscotti weren't as dry as they should have been - I was afraid of burning the biscotti so I didn't bake the slices for too long, and after a day sitting at room temp, they got a bit softer again. Next time I will bake the slices 10 minutes or even more on each side to ensure a crunchier texture. Almond slivers could also be added for more crunch.