Macadamia Nut Papaya Biscotti

This recipe is an adaptation from Giada Di Laurentiis' cranberry pistachio biscotti. 

While in Maui, I wanted to make a biscotti that is inspired by local ingredients and mac nuts are a staple on the Hawaiian islands. This year, however, raw mac nuts were tougher to find due to the active volcano in 2018. Volcanic ash fell on all of the macadamia nut trees and the surrounding soils, causing much of the nuts to not fully mature.  According to Hamakua Macadamia Nut Company, the crop was down by 40% from the previous year. 

I managed to find a small bag of mac nuts, at a slightly higher price point than usual, due to the shortage at Mana Foods in Paia. I hope the next harvest is a healthy and abundant one!

Makes 24 cookies

Time 1 hr

 2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup (1stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup unsalted mac nuts, roasted and chopped

2/3 cup dried papaya, diced

Preheat oven to 325 F. 

Sift and mix flour, salt and baking powder together in a medium bowl. 

Place the sugar, butter and lemon zest in a separate, large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating until ingredients are combined. Add the flour and stir until just combined. Throw in the mac nuts and papaya and stir everything together. 

Form the dough into a 13 inch/ 33cm long “log”, 5 inches/12 cm wide and 1.5 inches /5cm high. Place on a silicon mat or parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 min, until lightly brown, watching it so it doesn’t burn.  Let it sit and cool for 20 min. 

On a cutting board preferably with a bread or serrated knife, cut the biscotti into 3/4 inch/2 cm pieces, lay them down flat and bake for another 12 min turning them over halfway through. 

Check on the cookies to ensure they don't burn. 

Let it cool completely before serving.