Coconut Apricot Almond Biscotti

The name is a bit of a misnomer since these cookies are much more apricotty and almondy than coconutty. And, feel free to change the name if you make this version your own. I've altered this recipe before on my other blog, Here and There, but this is a very different take on it. Instead of adding carob powder to offset the liquid sweetener, I've added coconut flour. Additionally, the dried apricots lend the cookies a great tartness to offset the richness of the almonds.

I've never worked with coconut flour before, but I definitely will again. It smells fantastic, is very low in fat, and is very high in fiber. What could be bad? Also, it really sucks up the liquid in a recipe, so I could actually replace flour with it instead of adding to a recipe. It might just be my answer to how to tackle the sugar cookie issue.

I've made a little film of how I made the biscotti. Please let me know what you think. The recipe follows the film, although in the film, I use one egg. I've corrected for dryness by adding the second egg back in the recipe below.



Yields at least 30 cookies, depending on how thickly you slice them.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups toasted almonds coarsely chopped
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 cups self-rising flour
1/2 cup coconut flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
4 tablespoons vanilla rice milk (you could use regular, soy or almond milk here as well)
1/2 cup dried apricots chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a food processor, grind 1/2 cup of the almonds and the agave nectar until it resembles a wet paste.
3. Add the paste to the bowl of your mixer and beat in the flours until combined well.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until a dough forms.
5. Add the rice milk and mix until the dough loosens (about 2 minutes).
6. Add the remaining almonds and the apricots and stir until incorporated.
7. Halve the dough and on a flat surface, roll each piece into a log at least 10 in. long and about 2 in. in diameter. Pat down the logs a bit so they're oblong rather than round.
8. Bake until golden brown and set, approximately 27 minutes. Place the pan on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
9. Move the logs to a cutting surface and slice each into 1/2 in. to 1 in. pieces, depending on your preference.
10. Place the slices cut side down on the pan and bake for another 10 minutes.
11. Take the pan out of the oven and turn over the biscotti before putting the pan back into the oven to bake for another 10 minutes.
12. Cool completely on the pan, on a rack.
13. Enjoy the biscotti by themselves, or in my favorite way, by dunking them into a cold or hot drink.