There's no better partner for a hot cup of coffee than delicious homemade biscotti. This recipe is lightly sweet and offers a nice touch of maple flavor. Feel free to add a sprinkling of coarse white sparkling sugar or extra maple sugar to the top before the first bake if you would like it sweeter.
If you would like to make this recipe without eggs, I always substitute with 1/2 cup of aquafaba (chickpea liquid) and it works perfectly.
One thing I've learned about biscotti, is that if you have a favorite family recipe, you can use that as your base and swap out the add-ins (walnuts in this recipe), extracts (maple in this recipe) and/or sugar (maple in this recipe). So, if you would like to convert your favorite recipe to making it maple walnut instead of making a new recipe, swap out some or all of the sugar for maple sugar, swap out the extract for 1/4 tsp maple (or just add if it doesn't include an extract), and swap out the add-ins for chopped walnuts.
I use this recipe as my base in making cranberry orange, cinnamon raisin, hazelnut-cappuccino, cherry pistachio, and cinnamon sugar biscotti. All are so delicious!
Maple Walnut Biscotti
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup maple sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon strong maple flavoring (extract)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 large eggs (*see note above if looking for an egg alternative)
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare a large baking sheet by either lining it with parchment or silpat, or lightly greasing it.
In a medium-sized bowl, beat butter, maple sugar, salt, maple flavoring, and baking powder until mixture is smooth and creamy. Beat in the eggs. Mixture may look "off"/curdled, this is normal. Add in the flour and mix on low until almost completely incorporated. Add walnuts and continue to mix on low until smooth. (dough will be soft and sticky but should hold its shape)
Plop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and divide in half. With wet hands, shape each half into a 9 1/2" x 2" log that's approx. 3/4" tall.
Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
Spritz the top of the biscotti logs lightly with water using a spray bottle with room temp water (or dip your hands into a bowl and flick onto the surface of the biscotti). This is to help soften the top so you can cut it into pieces more easily. Let sit for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife or serrated knife cut into 1/2" - 3/4" slices, being careful to cut straight up and down.
Line up the sliced biscotti, on edge/upright, onto the prepared baking pan. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool.
Once cooled store at room temperature in an air-tight container.
