Apparently when I make a dessert with bourbon, pecan is my go-to nut. Granted there are only two bourbon and pecan dessert recipes in my collection, but I’m going with this logic anyway. What makes this treat even better is that you could eat biscotti as a breakfast item, and it’s a fairly acceptable choice. Go ahead! Give it a try.
The original post from December 2018
Oh, biscotti, you really may be my favorite baked good to make. You’re accepting of so many different flavors, you can act as a dessert or breakfast item, and you keep great texture and flavor whether being stored or shipped.
I’ve worked on many new biscotti recipes over the past few years, as my kids’ college plans took them out of state and country. And still, I wanted to send homemade baked goods once in a while, just a little something that’s better than usual college grub. So, with a long shipping process, these were my treats of choice.
This batch, however, was made for a different group of people. Quite often I take my test recipes to my husband’s office on Friday afternoons. Those in the Manchester office are excited for their arrival. People in offices elsewhere in the country just get to read messages from happy snackers on Slack.
Thus, with a work/fun trip planned for Chicago, I knew what I needed to do: bake biscotti for the office there. These biscotti can handle the rigors of bag check at the airport, of that I was sure. The flavor for this biscotti was easy to determine as well. From previous trips, I knew they all enjoyed a glass of bourbon. So, it was time for bourbon and biscotti to pair. Since there was a good chance that they’d be eaten at the office, the biscotti also pair nicely with a cup of coffee sweetened with Bourbon Sugar.
I will admit that it’s a subtle bourbon note in these treats. However, that’s a good thing. You don’t want it to be bourbon up front in a baked good. What you want is what this treat delivers: a hint of sweet, a buttery note, and a taste of bourbon. Ah, pure biscotti happiness.
If you want a breakfast that raises eyebrows or an after-dinner treat with coffee or tea, this is the biscotti for you!
Note: When baking, it’s better to use a good bourbon, especially in the glaze. If it’s a bourbon you enjoy for sipping neat or on the rocks, it’s good in these biscotti. If it’s a bourbon that you only use in mixed drinks, don’t use it here.
Bourbon Pecan Biscotti
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons bourbon divided
- 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1-½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-½ tablespoon good bourbon
- Skim milk
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350.
-
Beat butter and sugar in large bowl.
-
Add eggs one at a time, until fully combined.
-
Add vanilla and 3 tablespoons bourbon, beating until smooth.
-
In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking powder, and salt.
-
Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and blend.
-
Stir pecans into dough.
-
Divide dough in half.
-
Shape each half into 10″ x 3″ rectangle, using floured hands.
-
Set each loaf 2″ apart on a baking sheet.
-
Bake for 30 minutes or until the dough is set.
-
Leaving the oven on, remove the biscotti loaves and cool for 15 minutes on cookie sheet.
-
Using a chef’s knife, cut the loaves into diagonal slices, 1/2″ thick.
-
Place slices on cookie sheet with the cut sides down; brush with 1 tablespoon bourbon.
-
Bake for 8 to 9 minutes.
-
Turn over slices, and bake for 8 to 9 minutes more.
-
Remove biscotti from oven, and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack.
-
Combine powdered sugar and bourbon, stir well.
-
Add milk one teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached.
-
Using a spoon coat top side of each biscotti with glaze.
-
Allow glaze to harden; then eat or store in a sealed container.
