This “secret” almond biscotti recipe comes from the debut cookbook of French-trained Australian patissier Jean Michel Raynaud.
Titled The French Baker and released this month, the cookbook features 95 sweet and savoury recipes for biscuits, cakes, tarts, pies, pastries, croissants, jam and spreads.
Of his croquants aux amandes (Almond biscotti) recipe, Raynaud writes:
“I wanted to include this typically Provençal biscuit in this book because, for me, it lies at the core of what I love most about baking – its ability to unlock memories long thought forgotten. It amazes me how the simple act of biting into a small, seemingly inconsequential biscuit can transport me, but for a brief moment, straight back to my childhood, to a warm and happy place.
“Many years ago when I was young and living in Marseille, I had a friend Thierry whose mother was an excellent baker, particularly famed for her croquants aux amandes. Every time we visited, we raided the kitchen cupboard in a desperate search for the biscuit tin. Her croquants were fragrant but not overbearing, crunchy (which, by the way, is the direct translation of croquant) yet soft, and there never seemed to be enough of them. For many years I begged Thierry to ask her for the recipe, but she would never part with it. Then, on my last day in France, as we were all waiting in the airport lounge before my trip to Australia, Thierry slipped something into my pocket. It was a sealed envelope, stamped ‘State Secret’. I smiled gratefully at him and got on the plane.”
Croquants aux amandes (Almond biscotti)
Makes about 50
Recipes and Images from The French Baker, by Jean Michel Raynaud, published by Murdoch Books.
Ingredients
250g (9oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
250g (9oz) caster (superfine) sugar
250g (9oz) almond meal
3 eggs, lightly beaten, plus 1 extra, to glaze
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
2 teaspoons orange blossom water
200g (7oz) raw almonds, roasted
100g (3½ oz) pistachios
Method
Preheat the oven to 170C (340F). Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
Combine the flour, sugar and almond meal in a bowl, then transfer to a work surface and make a well in the centre. Pour the eggs, vanilla and orange blossom water into the well and, using your fingertips, start to bring the dry ingredients into the eggs and begin mixing. Continue to incorporate more and more of the flour mixture, then add the almonds and pistachios and mix until all the ingredients have formed a supple dough.
Divide the dough into five pieces, then roll each piece into a cylinder about 5-6cm (2-2½ in) in diameter and place on one of the lined trays. Lightly beat the extra egg in a small bowl, then brush the egg over the top of the dough cylinders.
Bake the cylinders for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, use a large chef’s knife to cut the cylinders into 2-3cm (3/4 –1¼ in) thick slices. Place the biscuits on the lined trays in a single layer and bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 15 minutes, or until light golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Croquants are delicious eaten with a cup of tea or coffee, or as a small treat for kids with a glass of milk. Store them in an airtight container for up to 1 month. As with all other biscuits, if they start to soften a little, simply dry them in a 100C (210F) oven for 10 minutes.
