Well....sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug!! LOL!
Don't know what youa re doing wrong....
I have found that an electric knife makes cutting a lot easier.
Here's the recipe I use most often....never had a crumnbling problem...(crossing my fingers and making the anti Evil Eye sign
!!)

Biscotti Di Prato

3 3/4 C all purpose flour (stirred till fluffy before measuring)
2 C sugar
1 tsp double acting baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla ( or 1/2 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp almond extract if using
almonds)
1 2/3 c almonds or hazle nuts coarsley chopped and litely toasted.
eggwash

Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking powder.
whisk together eggs, yolks and extracts, add eggs, etc to flour mixture and
stir until a dough forms (looks like it can never happen... but keep
working it...it will. I sometimes add a VERY little sprinkling of water)
add nuts, turn out on a non-stick surface ( I use a marble board or my
formica rolling board) and knead 3 or 4 times. Divide into fourths and
shape each piece into a 11 x 2 in. log ( make it "tall" as they flatten
while baking) Place on buttered and floured baking sheets, brush with egg
wash (egg yolk whisked with 1 T water). Bake at 350 for 35 min and cool 20
min. Slice 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Place on clean baking sheets ( cut side
down) and bake 10 or 12 minutes at 275. turn pieces over and bake another
10 minutes. If you want to make them extra fancy, dip half a slice in
melted chocolate and sprinkle with finly chopped nuts. You can make bigger
'scottis by making two thicker logs, but be sure to leave room for spread.

Best dipped in tea or coffee....or best yet in a sweet dessert wine!

Two suggestions; 1) try slicing them while still warm, and 2) try using a serrated (e.g. bread) knife. Good luck!

Don't let them cool longer than 5 minutes. Use a thin sharp serrated bread knife or an electric knife as Linda suggests. I wouldn't bake longer, they might become more crumbly. Linda's recipe is similar to mine in that it doesn't have shortening, just eggs. I found that the ones with shortening were far more likely to crumble. Don't try to slice to thinly, either. 1/2" is good.

Linda : I make a plain Biscotti with Anise Flavor, because
that's what they like here but you can add what you like.

I never had a problem with them crumbling.

Biscotti - Luigi

Preheat Oven to 325 Deg.

Ingredients:
4 Large eggs
1 1/3 cups Sugar
1/2 cup of Oil + ¼ cup of Butter ( Softened )
4 teaspoons Anise Flavor
1/3 teaspoon Salt (optional )
4 ½ cups Flour ?
3 Teaspoons Baking Powder

In a Large bowl, place - the Eggs, Oil, Butter, Sugar, Anise Flavor, Salt.
Mix with a mixer and add 3 cups of Flour and Baking Powder.
Beat well then add remaining Flour and knead by hand on a floured worktop.
Add just enough flour so the dough doesnÂt stick to your hands.
Form into a soft ball and cut in two pieces. Roll and shape into12 to 14 inch rolls..
If the dough has slight cracks, push the ends together, to shorten, roll out again.
Repeat this until there are no more cracks showing. Roll out to the right length .
Place on a lightly oiled cookie tin and flatten slightly, leaving the center higher.
Leave a space between the 2 and the pan, they will grow.
Bake in a 325 Deg. Oven for approx. 30 to 40 minutes. Or until slightly tan.
Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board.
Slice across , diagonally, making pieces about 7/8 in. ( size of a Nickel )
Separate slightly. Control yourself !!! Let them cool, before eating. Save one for me.

Good Luck , LOU

Linda, I just made biscotti last evening. Don't let them cool any longer than 5 minutes, and I used a chef's knife to slice them.

Easy Cinnamon Almond Biscotti - Janine
(makes about 30)

Ingredients:
¾ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoons salt
1 cup sliced or slivered almonds-I always use sliced

Sanding sugar or regular sugar and more cinnamon for rolling logs

.
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Line a sheetpan with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and
fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt; mix into
the egg mixture. Stir in the almonds.

Sprinkle the sugar/cinnamon mixture evenly over the parchment lined
baking pan. Divide the dough equally into two (while it's still on the
bowl and place on the parchment paper forming and rolling them into
logs (about 12 inches long) making sure they're covered with the
sugar/cinnamon mixture. Don't worry about removing any excess sugar,
from the baking pan, it's fine to leave it on the parchment.

Leave them in a roll shape and DON'T flatten.

Place logs on baking sheet, and bake in a preheated oven, for 30
minutes, or until the edges are golden.
Remove from oven to cool just 5 minutes (no longer) on the pan.

REDUCE oven temperature to 250 degrees.

Use a chefs knife to carefully slice, pushing straight down, (rather
than sawing) the loaves, diagonally, into ½ inch thick slices.

Return the slices to the baking sheet on their sides.

Bake for 10 minutes, at 250 degrees, turn pieces over and cook 10 more
minutes on the other side.

Turn them upright and TURN OFF the oven and just leave them sit in the
oven for an additional 4 to 5 HOURS or longer.

Cool completely, and store in an airtight container at room
temperature. They stay fresh for a month if stored properly. I put them
in a tin, lined with waxed paper.

They freeze beautifully, too!

Adapted from Allrecipes

These were cut while warm and didn't crumble.

{{!gwi}}

Interesting about not letting them cool longer than 5 minutes. I just made some on Saturday, Holiday Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti, and the recipe said to let them cool for 10 minutes. I had a little trouble with them crumbling too. Here's mine. Marigene, can you please share your recipe? They look delicious.

Hmmm...

I used no shortening, sliced while still warm, used a thin-blade serrated knife.....got crumbles.

Maybe last year I used a chefs knife, I don't recall.

Proudmama, Is that Giada's Holiday Biscotti? It looks identical the those I made last year. It's a really good recipe!

Well, I'll try again and make notes next time it works out well! LOL

Linda

Perhaps you over baked them the first time?

Linda, actually it's from Epicurious, Bon Appetit 2003. But perhaps it's the same. It is really delicious. I just wish it was smoother in shape like Marigene's, but maybe because of the chunky ingredients that won't be possible.

Thanks for another reminder! The Holiday Biscotti! I made them last yr..and Jacques liked them a lot.
Too bad my teeth are so fragile:(

Yup. Totally agree that you've got to slice when still warm to minimize crumbling...

Mmm. That reminds me. I should go make some of my favorite apricot cranberry biscotti...

Emily

Lou, your recipe sounds similar to my family's Greek paximadia recipe. I want to try yours because my favorite biscotti are the traditional anise flavored ones. I'm weird in that I don't like nuts or fruit added; I prefer the plain, unadorned cookie, and I especially like it super toasty.

Paximadia
(Greek Toast Cookies)

Similar to Italian biscotti, these cookies are toasty, slightly sweet, and perfect for dunking in coffee and tea.

1 cup sugar
2 cubes sweet, unsalted butter (½ pound or 8 ounces)
3 eggs, beaten
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon or orange rind
1 teaspoon lemon or orange extract
1 tablespoon vanilla
5 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup milk

ÂUsing electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.
ÂContinue mixing, adding eggs, vanilla, and lemon/orange extract.
ÂMix dry ingredients in separate bowl.
ÂAdd egg mixture to dry ingredients, blending well. Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time if dough is too dry. Dough should be pliable but very dense.
ÂDivide dough into two approximately equal portions.
ÂForm one portion of dough into a long, slightly flattened roll, approximately 4 inches wide, on an unbuttered cookie sheet. Do the same with the other portion.
ÂCut rolls in 1 inch slices; do NOT cut all the way through.
ÂBake at 350° for 20  25 minutes. Rolls should be very, very light brown. Do NOT over bake; they should look under baked.
ÂWhile still warm, slice the rolls, cutting all the way through the scored cuts.
ÂLay each piece cut side up on cookie sheet.
ÂBake at 350° until toasty, turning once (about 5-7 minutes per side). Be careful not to over brown or burn the cookies.
ÂCool thoroughly; store in airtight container.