Biscotti are oblong, brittle cookies that often accompany coffee and have seen a huge growth in popularity in the US since the coffee shop boom of the nineties. Their crunchy texture comes from being them baked twice. In fact, 'biscotti' means 'twice baked' in the Italian language. The most common additional ingredient to go in biscotti is almond, but chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut and many other ingredients can create different flavors.

If you have ever wondered why you can whip up almost any batch of cookies but always find your biscotti a disappointment then you are not alone.  Biscotti is often viewed as an exotic and challenging recipe that can either turn out too hard, too soft, too dry, or too crumbly.  Is there anyway to get homemade biscotti to come out just as crisp and delicious as you find in a supermarket or Italian restaurant? Yes, there is. All you need is time and patience to get this "difficult" cookie done right.

Six Way to Ensure Perfect Biscotti

1. While some cookie recipes allow for rough measurements of ingredients, biscotti is not one of them.  It is important not to place too much of one ingredient in the mix or not enough of another.  Follow the directions according to the recipe and measure each ingredient carefully.
2. Unless you are experienced in your biscotti baking, don't get too creative with a recipe.  Being adventurous and trying to combine two biscotti recipes that look appealing might end up in disaster.  For your first few batches stick to one, basic recipe before experimenting.
3. If you are making recipe substitutions for health or allergy reasons check that these won't have any adverse effect on your biscotti.  Make sure you get the right measurements for your alternative ingredient and read recipe reviews and forum posts from other cooks to learn about their experiences.
4. One common reason why biscotti might not turn out as it should, is that the oven temperature is  wrong. As well as checking that you set the oven to the correct temperature and waiting for it to preheat, be sure you have your oven is correctly calibrated.When your oven is not calibrated correctly, you can have problems with baking foods like biscotti.
5. The addition of extra ingredients can cause problems with biscotti texture.  Soft ingredients such as dried fruit can make your biscotti too moist, while coconut can make it dry and prone to crumbling. Make sure any added nuts are finely slivered or chopped to make cutting the loaf easier.
6. Some recipes, biscotti included, just don't do well when doubled. If you are just starting out, it's best not to double the recipe. Make a single batch each time until you are sure you have it down pat then try it doubled.  Some ingredients may need to be increased at a higher or lower ratio that 1:2, and this may vary from recipe to recipe.

By knowing what steps you can take to eliminate the most common problems for baking biscotti, you are well on your way to make yourself a perfect batch.