Paleo Biscotti

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup nuts, soaked and crisped if possible. (See All About Nuts.) I used almonds, however these are delicious with pecans, walnuts, pistacios, hazelnuts, etc.
• Sweeten with about 1 1/2 cups Just Like Sugar Table Top natural chicory root sweetener, or 1/4 cup PureLo Lo Han Sweetener by Swanson, or 1 cup raw honey, or your favorite sweetener.
• 1 2/3 cups (220 g) almond meal or flour
• 1 cup arrowroot powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon unprocessed salt
• 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast (optional buttery flavor)
Wet Ingredients:
• 3 large eggs (165 g) at room temperature (See The Best Eggs are Pasture-raised Organic)
• 1 teaspoon guar gum (optional, for slightly less crumbling)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Zest of 1/2 lemon or orange, or more if desired
• 1 teaspoon almond extract (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seeds (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Chop the nuts coarsely in the food processor or by hand, and set aside.
2. In a dry food processor fitted with the “S” blade, grind the sweetener to a very fine powder.
3. Add the almond meal, arrow root, baking powder, salt, and nutritional yeast (if using). Spin it for a minute to a very fine powder. Open the lid, stir the bottom, replace the lid, and grind again until the powder is uniformly fine.
4. To the dry ingredients in the food processor, add the eggs, guar gum – if using, vanilla, orange zest, and optional almond extract or anise seeds. Pulse the nuts in briefly so they’re evenly distributed but not mush.
5. Coat your hands with a bit of coconut oil. Remove the dough from the food processor. Divide it into two equal parts and place on the baking sheets. Shape each piece into a rectangular log about 10 inches long, 2 inches wide, and 1 inch thick at the thickest point. Bake for 20 minutes. If they begin to crack, remove from oven before they crack deeply. Let cool for 20 - 30 minutes in the pan on a rack.
6. With a sharp knife on a cutting board, carefully slice each log diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick biscotti or a bit thicker. Place each piece flat on its side on the baking sheets.
7. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes at 325°F. Turn over each slice and bake for 15 additional minutes, until slightly golden brown on the top. Transfer to a wire rack or a plate to cool. Enjoy! Store in an airtight container.