For some people, the holidays are all about tradition. This may mean doing a grab-bag every year, going ice-skating in the winter, or taking a family trip sometime during the holiday season. For a lot of people, holiday traditions also include food. As an Italian, our Christmas is all about food: there’s the Feast of the Seven Fishes (that, as someone who has never liked eating fish, has never been my favorite part of the holidays); the little boxes of La Florentine Torrone; the box of Panettone that always sat there, never opened; and the post-dinner fruit course sprinkled with fennel and featuring that single pomegranate that only one person actually enjoys cracking open.
One food that always makes an appearance in my house around the holiday is dried figs. Enter the inspiration for these Rye, Fig, and Almond Biscotti.
Every year, my parents buy Kalamata Crown figs, stuff them with roasted almonds, and layer them up in a giant glass jar. Every layer, they’d sprinkle a bit of cocoa (specifically Nesquick or Ovaltine for that bit of sugar as well) and Galiano. They’d also layer a couple of bay leaves in there and would seal the jar, leaving it for a couple of days for the flavors to settle before pulling the figs out and eating them as if they’re candy.
It’s something that has been a staple of my every Christmas, and I knew I needed to take that idea and toss it into another Italian treat: biscotti. Now, my recipe uses bourbon because I figured it was more common (and also, why not?), but if you happen to have some Galliano around, feel free to soak the figs in 1 Tbsp of that instead.
The fig and almond flavors are prominent in these biscotti, and the rye flour adds a bit of nuttiness that helps bring the flavors together. These biscotti are full of chunks. So much so, that while cutting, I would recommend taking your serrated knife and just chopping straight down with it. If you try to saw at the baked logs, you might knock out some of the filling!
These Rye, Fig, and Almond Biscotti aren’t meant to erase tradition. Rather, they are meant to herald & accompany it.
What are some of your holiday food traditions? Is there anything that you’ve been able to take and turn into something new?
| Cook Time | 50 minutes |
| Servings |
biscotti
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- 255 grams dried figs chopped
- 1 Tbsp bourbon
- 100 grams dark rye flour
- 184 grams all purpose flour
- 11 grams dark cocoa powder
- 1 lemon zest only
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 89 mL extra virgin olive oil
- 177 grams granulated sugar
- 2 eggs large
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp anise extract
- 1 cup almonds toasted and chopped
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips melted, for drizzling
Ingredients
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- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet, or two small baking sheets, with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Cut the dried figs into small pieces about 1 cm in size. Place in a small bowl and soak in 1 Tbsp bourbon. Set aside for about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, lemon zest, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat together the oil and sugar until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing to combine between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and anise extract. Mix to combine.
- Add the dry ingredients half at a time, mixing until the dough just begins to come together. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and the beater before adding the second half of the dry ingredients.
- Fold in the figs and the toasted, chopped almonds. Be careful not to over mix.
- Split the dough in half and lightly dust your hands with flour. Using a spatula, dump 1/2 the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (if using one large sheet, keep it off to the side a bit--we're going to put both logs on one sheet, and keeping it off to the side will prevent them from spreading into one another; if using two smaller baking sheets, you can keep it in the center). Using your floured hands, shape the dough alone the long-side of the baking sheet into a flattened log about 11-12 inches long and 4-5 inches wide. Repeat with the second half.
- Bake 30-40 minutes, until the edges and the top of the logs are firm. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven to 300°F.
- After 10 minutes, transfer your two logs to a cutting board and reline the baking sheet(s) with a new piece of parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, cut diagonally into slices about 1/2" thick. Line these slices up on the baking sheet with one of the cut sides down.
- Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes. They will still feel soft once removed from the oven, but as they cool, the biscotti will continue to harden and dry out.
- Once cooled, melt the milk chocolate chips according to the directions on the package (30 seconds on high, stir, heat for an additional 15 seconds, stirring again, until fully melted). Using a piping bag or a plastic bag with the tip cut off, drizzle the chocolate over one cut side of the biscotti.
You can also use a whisk, or carefully use a spoon, to drizzle the chocolate over the biscotti.