Italian breakfast biscuit recipe

For this Italian cookie recipe, set your oven to 160C-180C for fan-assisted ovens, or gas mark 4.

Beat the 2 eggs in a large bowl, then add the oil, 100g of sugar (save 15g for rolling!) and the grated orange zest. Mix well, then slowly stir in flour, salt, bicarb and baking powder with a fork.

Most Italian biscuit recipes include either egg or milk, but this one has both to give a slightly softer texture. So, you can decide whether to dunk your biscuit or not! We recommend adding the milk gradually after you’ve mixed all the other ingredients. You may not need it all - just add enough to prevent the dough from being too firm. 

Now it’s time to get hands-on with your Italian biscotti. Continue to mix the ingredients with your hands until it becomes a ball of dough. You can judge at this stage whether your dough is too tough or too sticky. If the dough feels dry and heavy, add an extra splash of milk, and work it with your hands until you get a soft ball of dough. If the dough won’t form a neat ball and sticks to your hands, add a little more flour to the mix.

Line your baking tray with greaseproof paper and set it aside. Put the extra 15g of sugar from the ingredients list onto a plate, so you’re ready to roll your biscuits in it.

Pull off pieces of dough and use your hands to roll them into balls. 40g-50g of dough makes smaller biscuits, and 70-80g will give you a larger biscotti. Next, roll the balls into logs and roll them in the sugar.

Place each biscuit log on the baking tray and flatten it a little. Make sure there’s space between each one. If there isn’t enough room, they’ll spread and stick together during baking. Once they’re all laid out on your tray, dust them with icing sugar.

Bake the biscuits in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. When the biscotti are a light golden colour and have puffed up a little, they’re ready. Place them on a cooling rack for a while, then dunk one in your coffee, and enjoy!

These biscuits are a great quick breakfast option to go with your morning coffee, but they can also be enjoyed as a mid-morning or afternoon snack. Store them in an airtight container, so you can save some for later.