Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C).  Line a sheet tray with a piece of parchment

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   .
2. Mix the flour with the lemon zest, and baking powder, and salt (if using) in a large bowl.
3. Whisk the sugar, lemon juice, and almond extract

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   together in a small bowl just to dissolve the sugar.  Break in the eggs and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour the eggs into the flour and mix with a baking spatula

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   with a few turns.
5. Pour in the nuts when you still have some flour left on the bottom of the bowl and fold the nuts into the dough as you’re finishing mixing everything together.
6. The dough should be bright yellow and quite sticky.
7. Spoon the dough into two rough logs on the parchment

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   , leaving a gap between the logs.
8. Use wet hands to shape the dough into logs that are about 2 and ½” wide and 10” long.
9. Sprinkle the logs with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.
10. Bake the logs for 20 minutes.  In that time, the dough will set, puffy, and the logs will be dry to the touch.
11. Cool the logs completely before proceeding.  This will take about 30 minutes. 
12. Cut the logs at an angle into slices about ½” wide.  Spread the slices on the baking sheet (you can use the same parchment

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    ).  There’s no need to leave any room between pieces.
13. Lower the oven heat to 250 F (120 C).  Bake the biscotti at the lower temperature for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, turn the oven off, but leave the biscotti still in the oven for another 30 minutes.
14. The biscotti will firm up after baking, but you should be able to snap open a biscotto easily after baking.  If you still feel any spongy softness, let the biscotti sit out at room temperature to finish drying out.
15. Biscotti keep for weeks in an airtight tin.  Serve them with coffee, and be sure to dunk them!