Another humble, celebratory treat that our family loves is biscotti. This is the perfect afternoon excuse to pause, and it pairs wonderfully with a cup of tea. This biscotti utilizes buckwheat flour as the base. Buckwheat is a grain-free, gluten-free flour that is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is chock-full of protein and fiber. But my favorite part about buckwheat is that I love to grow it, and I use it extensively as a cover crop.

Buckwheat can be considered a bitter flour, but I have found that paired with the right flavors, it is unique, earthy, and nutty. Not into buckwheat? See my note below on reducing the amount of buckwheat flour. 

Rosemary, Orange, and Buckwheat Biscotti

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup buckwheat flour*
• 3/4 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one orange
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried rosemary, ground fine
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts optional

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF (176ºC). In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, combine the honey, egg, orange juice, zest, vanilla, and chopped fresh rosemary. Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mixture will be slightly sticky.
• Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and shape the mixture into a log about 9-12 inches long and 3 inches wide. Bake for about 25 minutes until the biscotti is lightly browned, but not a deep brown. If it gets too dark it will be hard to cut.
• Turn the oven down to 275ºF (135ºC) and let the log cool for 5 minutes. Using a sharp knife, gently cut the biscotti into 1/2-inch pieces. Cutting biscotti can be hard to do neatly—do not be afraid! If you wipe off your blade between cuts, it will cut much easier. If you’re using nuts, you want to make sure that they are finely chopped, otherwise they will make the biscotti hard to cut neatly.
• Place the biscotti back onto parchment paper with space between each piece. Let the biscotti continue to cook in the oven for another 30 minutes. Do not let the biscotti get too brown!
• Pull the biscotti out of the oven and let it cool for another 30 mins. The biscotti will continue to harden as it cools. You can store biscotti in an airtight container for a week or more, but it never lasts that long for me! I often make a double batch of this one.

Notes

*Note: If buckwheat flour feels too “flavorful” for you, consider changing the flour ratio. This recipe works great with a 1/2 cup of buckwheat, 1/2 cup of almond flour and 1/2 cup of all-purpose, whole wheat, or gluten-free 1-to-1 flour. If the buckwheat is still too much for you, go ahead and substitute whole wheat flour for the buckwheat flour.

Other flavors to try:
Fennel Seed and Orange Biscotti
Add 2 teaspoons of finely ground fennel seed and the zest and juice of a small orange.
Maca and Dark Chocolate Chip Biscotti
Add 2 tablespoons of maca powder and 1/4 cup of small, dark chocolate chips.

Lemon Thyme Biscotti
Add zest and juice of one lemon plus 1 tablespoon of chopped fresh lemon thyme. Use all-purpose or whole wheat flour in place of buckwheat for best flavor.

Cinnamon and Ginger Biscotti
Add 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of ginger to the batter. You can also add finely chopped crystallized ginger for an extra gingery treat.

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