Almond Biscotti

1. Crank your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Trust me, the parchment makes cleanup so much easier.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt until everything’s evenly combined and there are no lumps.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla extract until smooth and slightly frothy—this takes about a minute by hand and helps incorporate air.

4. Gradually pour the egg mixture into your dry ingredients, stirring with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough starts to form. Don’t dump it all in at once or you’ll end up with lumps—slow and steady wins here.
5. Fold in the chopped almonds and dried cranberries, mixing just until they’re evenly distributed throughout the dough. Don’t overmix or your biscotti will be tough instead of tender-crisp.
6. Divide the dough in half. Wet your hands slightly to prevent sticking, then shape each half into a log about 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. The dough will be slightly sticky but that’s normal—just keep your hands damp and it’ll be manageable.

7. Place both logs on your prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 3 inches between them because they’ll spread a bit during baking. Flatten them slightly so they’re about 3/4 inch tall.
8. Slide them into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until the logs are firm to the touch and lightly golden. They should look like slightly underdone bread at this point—that’s exactly right.

9. Pull them out and let the logs cool on the baking sheet for about 10 minutes. I know waiting is hard, but this cooling time is crucial—if you slice them too soon, they’ll crumble everywhere and you’ll be sad.
10. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut the logs into diagonal slices about 1/2 inch thick. Use a gentle sawing motion instead of pressing straight down—this gives you clean, beautiful slices instead of crumbly messes.

11. Lay the slices flat on the baking sheet (you might need a second sheet if they don’t all fit). Pop them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, flipping them halfway through, until they’re golden and starting to crisp up. Keep an eye on these because they can go from perfect to overdone pretty quickly.
12. Let the biscotti cool completely on a wire rack—this is when the magic happens and they transform into that signature crunchy texture. Once cool, they’re ready to enjoy with your favorite coffee or tea. Store them in an airtight container and they’ll stay fresh for weeks!