Almond Biscotti

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).

Step 2: Spread the almonds on a tray and bake for 10 minutes, shaking the tray once. Let them cool completely before adding them to the dough.

Step 3: Whisk the butter and caster sugar in a bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla and almond extract, then whisk to combine.

Step 4: Add the flour, then scatter the baking powder and salt across the surface. Mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is almost completely mixed in. Add the cooled almonds and mix until fully combined. The dough should resemble cookie dough: a little sticky but firm enough to handle. If it is very sticky, refrigerate it for 15 minutes.

Step 5: Divide the mixture in two and scrape it onto a parchment-lined tray. Shape it into two logs, each 5 cm wide, 2 cm tall and 27 cm long, with 7 cm between them; they will spread. Use wet hands if the mixture is sticky. If it is very sticky, refrigerate the dough for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Bake for 25 minutes, or until light golden. Let the logs cool completely, about 1 hour; cooler logs are easier to slice without crumbling, and they are even easier to slice the next day.

Step 7: Preheat the oven to 150°/300°F (130°C fan-forced).

Step 8: Using a sharp serrated knife, slice the logs diagonally into 7 mm / 1/3-inch-thick pieces. You can cut them thicker if you like. The batch makes about 40 pieces, plus the log ends.

Step 9: Arrange the slices on two lined trays. Bake for 12 minutes, flip them, then bake for another 12 minutes or until light golden. Thicker slices will take longer.

Step 10: Cool the biscotti on the trays; they will become fully crisp as they cool.