December 10, 2012

Cardamom Orange Biscotti – Low Carb and Gluten-Free

Name: Cardamom Orange Biscotti
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 130 min
Ingredients: 2 cups almond flour; ½ cup Swerve sweetener ( or granulated erythritol); 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp xanthan gum; 1 tbsp orange zest; ¾ tsp ground cardamom; ¼ cup butter (melted); 1 large egg (lightly beaten); ½ tsp vanilla extract; ¼ cup powdered Swerve sweetener; 1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

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Crispy low carb almond flour biscotti with a touch of cardamom and orange. This is a deliciously grain-free way to start your day!

I am in full-on cookie-baking mode. I’m all about the low carb Christmas cookie recipes right now and I don’t seem to want to make anything else. Sorry, kids, I forgot about making dinner again, I was too busy dreaming up Christmas cookie ideas. I didn’t actually develop this cardamom orange biscotti recipe for the holiday season, but somehow it still fits. The warm spices and the orange zest in a cookie you can dunk into your hot drink…yep, seems like a Christmas cookie to me! Truth is I was just craving biscotti one morning and want a new and different flavour. Cardamom offers such a unique taste which goes well in both sweet and savoury dishes, I am rather enamored of it.

I really do love the Christmas baking season, and the majority of my baking does focus on cookies. Cakes, pies and other desserts are all very well and good, but Christmas cookies are in my blood. They are part of my heritage. My mother used to make huge batches of her roll-out Christmas shortbreads and we kids would decorate for hours. No icing, just cut up dried fruit and little sprinkles and coloured sugar that we would press into the soft dough before baking. She would give them away like crazy and we’d still end up with dozens in the freezer that would last well into February. Not that we minded.

And on the other side of my family, my father’s wife also had her traditional Christmas cookies, the pecan crescents. These were also shortbread-like in nature, but shaped by hand into plump crescents and filled with finely chopped pecans. And then topped with a sweet white glaze and sprinkles. She made many other wonderful cookies, but those were my favourites. I actually attempted my own low carb version a few years ago and they were quite good, but not quite the same. I’ve actually gotten much better at low carb baking and I think I could try again and get an almost exact replica. I may get to that, I may not. I have way too many ideas for low carb Christmas cookies, and not nearly enough time.

Ah well…in the meantime, enjoy these not-quite-Christmas Cardamom Orange Biscotti!

5 from 3 votes

Cardamom Orange Biscotti

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

55 mins

Cooling Time

1 hr

Total Time

2 hrs 10 mins

Crispy low carb almond flour biscotti with a touch of cardamom and orange. This is a deliciously grain-free way to start your day!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 14 biscotti

Calories: 123 kcal

Ingredients

Biscotti:

2 cups almond flour
½ cup Swerve sweetener or granulated erythritol
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp orange zest
¾ tsp ground cardamom
¼ cup butter melted
1 large egg lightly beaten
½ tsp vanilla extract

Orange Glaze:

¼ cup powdered Swerve sweetener
1 ½ tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, granulated Swerve, baking powder and xanthan gum. Stir in orange zest and cardamom.
Stir together melted butter, egg, and vanilla extract until dough comes together.
Turn dough out onto baking sheet and form into low, flat log, 10 x 4 inches. Bake 25 minutes, or until lightly browned and firm to the touch. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250F.
With a sharp knife, gently cut into 15 even slices. Place slices back onto baking sheet cut-side down and bake for 15 minutes, then flip each slice and continue to bake for another 15 minutes. Turn off oven and let sit inside until cool.
For the glaze, whisk together the powdered Swerve with the orange juice. Drizzle over cooled biscotti and let set 30 minutes.

Recipe Notes

Serves 14. Each serving has 3.91 g of carbs and 1.79 g of fiber. Total NET CARBS = 2.12 g.

Food energy: 123kcal
Saturated fatty acids: 2.65g
Total fat: 11.06g
Calories from fat: 99
Cholesterol: 8mg
Carbohydrate: 3.91g
Total dietary fiber: 1.79g
Protein: 3.75g

Nutrition Facts

Cardamom Orange Biscotti

Amount Per Serving (1 biscotti)

Calories 123 Calories from Fat 100

% Daily Value*

Fat 11.06g17%

Saturated Fat 2.65g13%

Cholesterol 8mg3%

Carbohydrates 3.91g1%

Fiber 1.79g7%

Protein 3.75g8%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.

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