I’ve been fascinated recently with Southern Italy and how different the cuisine looks from the rest of the Italian culture. Clean, whole ingredient recipes and very simple approaches. This biscotti recipe looks a little different than you’re basic biscotti as it’s been adapted from the Puglia version of Biscotti de Ceglie. This biscotti uses whole almonds chopped up in a food processor as the cookie portion and is then stuffed with a cherry compote and carefully rolled to form a log. Use a knife to cut each piece and transfer to a baking dish. These naturally gluten-free cookies are so delicious, moist, and addicting! Try filling them with your favorite compote or fruit spread. A must this holiday season.

Normal biscotti could never be this almond biscotti. The main trick of this recipe is developing a “batter” without gluten. Using an egg and limoncello as the glue, this batter actually has to rest in order for it to develop a stickiness as the sugary alcohol and egg start to get tacky. The next trick once the batter is made is to stuff and form them.

Get yourself a bowl of ice cold water to help you form these cookies. As your form each cookie log, the mixture will be very sticky so this step is crucial. Drip a little water onto the counter and place half the batter onto the prepared work surface. Form the mixture into a tight rectangle, then spread on your filling. I chose to make my own cherry compote, but you can use store-bought fine. Roll up the log very gently using a bench scraper while your lightly roll the almond mixture over itself. Don’t fuss with this part too much to ensure a perfect cookie. Cut them into pieces and place onto your prepare silpat-lined sheet tray. Repeat and bake!

These cookies freeze great, they make for great holiday treats for your friends and family, and the best part is they are a light and relatively healthy snack. I found myself having one of these bites in the morning with coffee and after lunch as a little midday dessert. A delicious lemony sweet treat that doesn’t leave you feeling sluggish. Bake these for your loved ones and you won’t regret it.