Gluten Free Almond Baklava Biscotti

I love having a quiet time, just relaxing with a cup of hot chocolate or a latte...and nothing makes that hot cup of comfort better than a biscotti to dip into it!  These Gluten Free Almond Baklava Biscotti's are really special.  The great thing about this recipe is that you can go all out and really top these babies big with melted chocolate and honey glazed nuts, or you can just coat them with chocolate and leave out the nuts.  If you really are not a risk taker, you can leave all the toppings off all together and just have them bare (um, the Biscotti could be bare, not you...unless you  like to be bare when you eat a biscotti, and if that's the case, we don't really want to know about it).

Gluten Free Almond Baklava Biscotti

My family loves these Gluten Free Almond Baklava Biscottis and that really surprised me.  You see, biscottis are usually something I get when I go out to  coffee or a rare treat I used to buy when going on vacation or something.  I had no idea my family loved them so much, and how easy they are to make, or I would have made them sooner!

Why don't you make a batch and see if your family has a hidden love you didn't know about too!  Now get to baking!

GLUTEN FREE ALMOND BAKLAVA BISCOTTI
Recipe from: Goodies Gone Gluten Free
click here for Printable Recipe

1 cup almond meal
1 1/2 cups all purpose gluten free flour (store bought or homemade)
2 cups tapioca flour
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. Anise Seed (whole or ground, I like to grind mine)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs plus one egg white
1/4 cup butter, softened or melted
1 cup chocolate chips (semi-sweet or dark)
optional: 1/2 cup dried cherries tossed in a 1/2 tsp. tapioca flour

Topping

1 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. honey
1 cup chopped toasted nuts (1/4 pistachios, almonds and pecans)
1/2 cups melted dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet.  In a medium size bowl, or stand mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla extract.  Add the Anise seed.  Add eggs and egg white, one at a time and mix well.  Mix together dry ingredients and beat into the wet mixture.  The dough will be very thick and dry.  Stir or mix in almonds, chocolate chips and cherries (if using).

Divide dough into two equal parts and on a gluten free floured surface, mold and pat dough into two logs, about 12 inches long and 3 inches wide.

Brush logs with an egg white and bake logs at 350 degrees F. for 20-25 minutes.  They should be light brown and starting to crack on top when done.  Cool for 10 minutes and cut loaves at a slant approximately 1 inch wide.  Lower oven to 225 degrees F. and place biscotti slices face down on cookie sheet back in oven.  Turn over each slice after 10 minutes of cooking and continue to cook.

For the topping, mix together melted butter, honey and chopped  nuts.  Once biscotti is cooled dip the tops in melted dark dark chocolate and top each liberally with nut mixture (it will seem like the nuts won't stick, but they will harden up).  Refrigerate biscotti to set the chocolate and nuts.