Culinary SOS: A reader was wowed by the biscotti from Deer Valley; we scored the recipes (2024)

Dear Culinary SOS:

On a recent trip to Deer Valley in Utah, I had the most delicious biscotti that came from the Snow Park Bakery. I took home the almond biscotti and the chocolate biscotti with orange peel thinking that I could duplicate the recipe. I can’t. Any efforts on your part to get the recipe would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Angela Rinaldi, Cheviot Hills

The bakery was happy to share recipes for both its almond biscotti and the hazelnut chocolate orange biscotti.

ALMOND BISCOTTI

Biscotti from Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe in our California Cookbook: Almond biscotti »

About 3 hours, plus freezing time. Makes 16 large biscotti

8 ½ ounces flour

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup plus 2 heaping tablespoons (½ pound) sugar

1 teaspoon orange zest

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 extra large eggs

1 ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

3/8 teaspoon almond extract

7 ounces sliced almonds, finely ground, about 2 cups

2 ½ ounces whole almonds, coarsely chopped, a scant ½ cup

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

2. In a bowl, sift together the flour and salt.

3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, orange zest and lemon zest and beat at medium-high speed until fully incorporated and light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla and almond extract and mix well, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture, ground almonds and chopped almonds to make a dough that will be a bit sticky and loose.

4. Turn the dough onto the lined baking sheet and form the dough into a half-cylinder log about 12 inches long, 3 3/4-inches wide at the base and 1 1/2-inches tall.

5. Freeze the log overnight.

6. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake the frozen cylinder until mostly firm in the center of the log but not too dark — it should give a little but appear fully cooked — about 65 minutes.

7. Cool the log for 30 minutes and while still warm and soft, cut the log crosswise into 3/4-inch thick slices. If the pressure of the knife causes the log to crush when you start to slice it, it is underbaked; return it to the oven to complete the baking and cool again before attempting to slice. If it crumbles when you start slicing, it has cooled too much. Return the log to the oven for 10 minutes or so to soften and let cool slightly before attempting to slice again.

8. Place each slice on its side and bake until just firm, about 40 minutes. They will dry out slightly as they cool.

Each biscotti: Calories 320; Protein 6 grams; Carbohydrates 29 grams; Fiber 3 grams; Fat 21 grams; Saturated fat 8 grams; Cholesterol 57 mg; Sugar 15 grams; Sodium 230 mg

Note: Adapted from a recipe by Deer Valley Resort.

HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE ORANGE BISCOTTI

Biscotti from Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT.

(Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times)

Recipe in our California Cookbook: Hazelnut chocolate orange biscotti »

About 4 1/2 hours, not including freezing time. Makes 16 biscotti

1 ¾ cups plus 3 scant tablespoons (8 ounces) flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

About 3 tablespoons (5/8 ounce) dark cocoa powder

About ¼ cup plus 2 ½ tablespoons (1 ounce) Dutch process cocoa powder

½ cup (one stick) butter, room temperature

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon (3½ ounces) brown sugar

½ cup (3½ ounces) sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

3 extra large eggs, divided

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon almond extract

2¾ ounces candied orange peel, chopped to ¼-inch pieces, about 1/3 cup

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into ¼-inch pieces, about 1 cup

5 ounces hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped, about 1 cup

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.

2. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together the espresso powder, dark cocoa powder and Dutch process cocoa powder and set aside.

3. In the work bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar and beat at medium-high speed until fully incorporated and light and creamy, 3 to 5 minutes. Slowly add 2 of the eggs, the vanilla and almond extract. Mix well and scrape down the sides of the bowl well. Add the espresso-cocoa powder mixture and mix and scrape well. Add the flour mixture and mix and scrape until no white streaks are present. Add the candied orange peel, chocolate and hazelnuts to form a dough.

4. Turn the dough onto the prepared baking sheet and form the dough into a half cylinder log about 12 inches long, 3 3/4 inches wide at the base and 1 1/2 inches tall.

5. Freeze the log overnight.

6. Heat the oven to 325 degrees.

7. Separate the remaining egg, whisk the white and brush it onto the frozen log (reserve the yolk for another use). Sprinkle sugar on top of the log and bake until slightly firm in the center, taking care not to overbake as the dough is dark so color is not a good indicator, about 1 hour.

8. Cool completely, about 2 hours.

9. Cut the log crosswise into 3/4” thick slices. Place each slice on its side and bake until firm to the touch, taking care not to overbake, about 30 minutes.

Each biscotti: Calories 247; Protein 6 grams; Carbohydrates 23 grams; Fiber 4 grams; Fat 17 grams; Saturated fat 7 grams; Cholesterol 54 mg; Sugar 7 grams; Sodium 110 mg

Note: Adapted from a recipe by Deer Valley Resort.

This is an occasional feature in which readers request their favorite restaurant recipes and we track them down. Got a request? Email us at food@latimes.com.

noelle.carter@latimes.com

@noellecarter