Spring is finally in the air and everything is starting to turn fragrant and burst into blossom. And that inspiration has definitely made its way into my kitchen.

Orange blossom. Like the dainty sister of an orange. All fragrance, no bite.

If you've never baked with flower waters before, you'll be surprised to learn how versatile they are. Almost any recipe can be adapted to use rose or orange blossom by simply taking the amount of extract and converting it to tablespoons. Be aware though that orange and rose waters are delicate and work best in recipes where they won't be overpowered by heavier ingredients like chocolate.

These biscotti, perfectly balanced by the warm toast of hazelnuts and the soft, fragrant notes of orange blossom, definitely fit the bill.

Biscotti is a busy medley of ingredients that should compliment each other. This recipe emphasizes orange juice, orange zest, and orange blossom in addition to vanilla and hazelnut.

But once you've got your ingredients gathered, the method couldn't be simpler. Mix, shape into a log, and bake. They'll emerge from the oven as a glorious smelling, toasty brown cookie.

Hands off, kids.

These need to set for a full thirty minutes or you'll end up with biscotti crumble instead of biscotti. You've been warned.

I hope this spring brings you delights of all sorts and the promise of warmer weather just around the corner.

Hazelnut & Orange Biscotti

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting your hands
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons orange zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole or chopped hazelnuts
3 large eggs

2Tbsp. orange blossom water
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 Tbsp. orange juice

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, zest, salt, and nuts. Set aside.
In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and orange blossom water. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix to combine.
Lightly dust your hands with flour and turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet. Shape the dough into a log about 1-inch thick and about 4-inches wide. Bake the log until puffed and golden brown, 33 – 35 minutes. Cool the log completely.
When the log has cooled (at least 30 minutes), slice cookies that are about 1/4-inch thick and arrange them cut side down on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the cookies a second time until golden brown and dry, about 35 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through baking. Cool completely before serving.