Slice after the first bake while warm; fully cold pecan shortbread can shatter before the drying bake.
Rice-flour and pecan shortbread dried in a second bake into small biscotti-style sticks.
The recipe card lists measured ingredients, numbered steps, storage guidance, and a nutrition estimate when available. Total time includes the listed preparation, rest, baking, and cooling periods for this recipe.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Orange Pecan Shortbread Biscotti Recipe
Follow the tray sizes, portions and baking intervals in the instructions below.
Total time includes hands-on preparation, required chilling or resting, whole-batch cooking, cooling and finishing.
Kitchen tools you’ll need
- 8-inch square metal pan
- 13 x 18-inch half sheet
- parchment
- bowl
- knife
- fork
- rack
Ingredients
US measures are approximate. Gram weights help keep portions consistent; spice weights vary with density.
Instructions
Mix the dough
- Mix the dough: Stir butter, sugar and zest smooth; add both flours, salt and pecans and press into a cohesive dough without whipping.
Shape the slab
- Shape the slab: Line an 8-inch square metal pan. Press all dough flat, dock and score 24 sticks in a 6 x 4 grid; no chill is needed. These are shortbread sticks given a drying bake, not leavened Italian biscotti logs.
Bake twice
- Bake twice: Heat oven to 325°F (165°C) conventional or 300°F (150°C) fan. Bake slab 28–32 minutes until pale gold and dry. Rest in pan 10 minutes, cut through the score lines and carefully place sticks flat on one lined 13 x 18-inch half sheet, 1/2 inch apart. Lower oven to 275°F (135°C) conventional or 250°F (120°C) fan and dry 12–15 minutes, turning once. Whole-batch oven time is up to 47 minutes.
Cool the sticks
- Cool the sticks: The 10-minute intermediate pan rest precedes the second bake. After that bake, cool 30 minutes on a rack before packing. Cooling allowance totals 40 minutes and includes the intermediate pan rest.
Timing and scaling
- Timing and scaling: 25 min hands-on + 0 min required chill/rest + 47 min whole-batch oven baking + 40 min cooling/setting = 112 min. Cooling includes tray/pan rests and runs from the final tray; earlier-tray cooling may overlap later baking. Ingredient warm-up and frozen-dough thawing are extra; preheat during shaping/chilling. Scale ingredients and US equivalents, not oven temperature, piece sizes or per-tray bake time; extra trays extend the whole-batch time.
Chef’s Science & Pro Tips
Ingredient science
Rice flour reduces gluten, while a second lower-temperature bake removes moisture from exposed cut surfaces for a drier shortbread stick.
Technique & texture
Slice after the first bake while warm; fully cold pecan shortbread can shatter before the drying bake.
Finishing & serving
Serve with coffee for dipping; the extra drying bake makes these deliberately crisper than single-baked shortbread.
Storage and make-ahead
| Method | How long | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature | 5 days | Up to 5 days. Seal fully cooled cookies airtight in a cool dry room. Separate layers with parchment; keep away from moist treats. |
| Refrigeration | up to 7 days | Unnecessary; up to 7 days if needed. Baked refrigeration is unnecessary for this formula; use only if the room is warm. Seal airtight to prevent condensation and odors. |
| Raw freezing | 1 month | Up to 1 month. Freeze the unfilled dough tightly wrapped. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then shape and complete the stated chill. Thawing time is additional. |
| Baked freezing | 2 months | Up to 2 months. Freeze completely cooled cookies airtight with parchment between layers. Thaw sealed at room temperature for 1–2 hours. |
| Restoring | As described | Optional 3–5 minutes. Refresh plain cookies at 300°F (150°C) conventional or 275°F (135°C) fan for 3–5 minutes, then cool 20 minutes before sealing. This extra time is outside fresh-batch timings. |
Notes
- Scale ingredients, including US measures, without changing cookie size or oven temperature. Extra trays increase whole-batch time.
Nutrition
Approximate values per portion from the listed ingredient weights divided into 24 equal portions. Includes required fillings and finishes. Brands, unused coatings and actual portion size affect the estimate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these traditional Italian biscotti?
Rice flour reduces gluten, while a second lower-temperature bake removes moisture from exposed cut surfaces for a drier shortbread stick.
When should I slice the sticks?
Slice after the first bake while warm; fully cold pecan shortbread can shatter before the drying bake.
Why are they especially crisp?
Serve with coffee for dipping; the extra drying bake makes these deliberately crisper than single-baked shortbread.
Browse more cookie ideas in the Christmas Shortbread Cookies collection.
