Biscotti

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Biscotti

This week's column is in response to a request for Biscotti recipes. Biscotti are twice baked Italian cookies use for dipping into coffee or tea. And for those who do not drink coffee of tea, they are great dipped into hot chocolate. By baking them twice, the cookies dry out and become quite hard, which makes a great texture for dunking. The cookie will soak up the liquid while remaining intact, so you don't end up with floaters.

There are many flavors of Biscotti. Some are plain some are drizzled with chocolate or other glaze. It's really a personal preference as to which are best. I am including three different recipes here in hopes that one will be adequate for everyone.

Basic Biscotti

4 oz Blanched almonds

2 1/2 c Flour

2 c Granulated sugar

1/4 ts Salt

1/4 ts Baking soda

3 Eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and toast them in oven until lightly golden. Let cool. Coarsely chop half the nuts. Butter 2 large baking sheets. Mix flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Beat in eggs, then whole and chopped nuts. Mix to obtain a firm dough. Knead briefly, then divide dough into 4 pieces. On a floured work surface, roll each piece under your hands into a cylinder 15 inches long and about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place 2 rolls, well separated, on each baking sheet and bake 15 to 20 minutes, until very lightly browned and firm to the touch. With a spatula, carefully transfer the rolls to a cutting board and slice each one diagonally into cookies about 1/2-inch thick. Set wire racks on the baking sheets and lay out the Biscotti on them. Return them to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until very firm and crisp. Cool on the racks, then transfer them to a tin for long keeping. Yield: 72 Servings

Double Chocolate Walnut Biscotti

2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons unsalted butter -- softened

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup chopped walnuts

3/4 cup chocolate chips

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 Butter and flour a large baking sheet. In a bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat til well combined. Stir in flour mixture to form a stiff dough. Stir in walnuts and chocolate chips. On baking sheet, with floured hands, form dough into 2 slightly flattened logs, each 12 inches long and 2 inches wide. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Bake 35 minutes or until slightly firm to the touch. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes. On a cutting board, cut Biscotti diagonally into 3/4-inch slices. Arrange cut sides down on baking sheet and bake until crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool on a rack. Keeps 1 week in an airtight container and can freeze for 1 month. Serving Size: 30

Maple Praline Biscotti

2 c All-purpose flour

1 tsp Baking powder

1/4 tsp Salt

1/4 c Butter; softened

1/2 c Granulated sugar

1/2 c Brown sugar, packed

2 Eggs

1 tsp Maple extract

3/4 c Pecans; toasted --finely chopped

Glaze:

1 c Powdered sugar

1 Tbs Butter; softened

1/2 tsp Maple extract

4 tsp Milk; to 5 teaspoons

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees; lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a mixer bowl, combine the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until well mixed. Adding the eggs one at a time and the maple extract, continue beating for about 1 minute until smooth. By hand, stir in the pecans. Gently stir in the flour mixture just until the dough is blended. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll and stretch each portion into a 12 x 1 1/2-inch smooth log. Place each log on the cookie sheet, about 3 inches apart. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the logs begin to crack. Cool the logs for 15 to 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees. With a serrated knife, cut each log diagonally into 3/8 to 1 1/2-inch slices. Lay the slices, cut side down, on the cookie sheet. Bake, turning once, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until crisp and lightly golden brown on both sides. Place on cooling racks; cool completely. Glaze: In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, butter, maple extract and enough milk to reach glazing consistency. Beat on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Dip the top edge of the cooled Biscotti in the glaze. Place the dipped Biscotti on waxed paper-lined cookie sheets. Refrigerate for about 1 hour until the glaze is hardened. Store in an airtight container. Yield: 36 Servings

Note: To toast pecans, spread evenly in a shallow baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees, stirring once, for 4 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely.