Biscotti, traditional Italian cookies, are delicious treats to enjoy not just during the holidays but throughout the year.
The word “biscotti” (the singular is biscotto) is composed of two words, “bis” meaning twice, and “cotto” meaning cooked. Indeed, biscotti are typically baked in a log shape, then sliced and baked once more. It is the two-part baking process that gives biscotti its distinctive crisp texture and allows it to be dunked into coffee, tea, or vin santo (sweet wine) without immediately disintegrating.
Despite their elegant appearance, you can easily bake them yourself. The variations are endless. Some are jammed full of nuts, some have none at all; some are dipped in chocolate; others are made with dried fruit.
If you are adventurous, you can start with a basic recipe and use your imagination. The finished biscotti can be served as is, or drizzled with white or dark chocolate (or both), or sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.
Tips:
— Take advantage of biscotti’s long shelf life and bake two batches; saving one for storage. Be sure the cookies are completely cooled before storage to ensure that all the moisture has escaped. Store in an airtight container for up to one week. If they lose some crispness, reheat in a 250-degree oven for five minutes. You can freeze them for six months.
— If you want to try different combinations of fillings, cut the dough in half or thirds and add a different ingredient to each (nuts in one, chocolate chips in another, and so on).
— Biscotti dough is rather sticky so use a rubber spatula and floured hands to divide the dough into two portions for shaping into logs about 8 to 14” long. If the dough is too soft to shape, place it in the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes or until it’s firm enough to handle. Moistening your hands slightly can make shaping easier.
— Italian-style biscotti are not made with butter so they are super-crunchy for dunking. American-style biscotti made with butter, though not ideal for dunking, are lighter and more tender.
— Allow the logs to cool for ten minutes after the first baking. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut the baked log on the diagonal into 1/2-inch slices. The more slanted the angle of the diagonal, the longer the biscotti. Cutting the logs crosswise will produce shorter biscotti.
— Brush the top of the biscotti after its first bake with an egg white wash (1 egg white plus 1 tablespoon water) for a shiny crust.
— Replace the slices on the cookie sheet for the second baking ½-inch apart so air can circulate.
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HAZELNUT AND MILK CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI
This recipe is adapted from "One Tin Bakes Easy" by Edd Kimber, Kyle Books ($19.99).
Vin Santo, a sweet dessert wine, is traditionally paired with biscotti, but a bubbly Risata Sparkling Rosé ($14.99) is a good option.
Kimber writes, “This version, made with gluten-free flour, uses the perfect pairing of milk chocolate and hazelnuts, making that mug of coffee an extra special treat.”
2 1/8 cups gluten-free flour (or all-purpose flour), plus extra for dusting 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Zest of 1 large orange
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup toasted hazelnuts (or nut of your choice)
9 ounces milk chocolate, melted
Cacao nibs, for sprinkling (optional)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line the base of your 9 x 13-inch baking tin with parchment paper.
Place the flour, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl and mix to combine. Make a well in the middle and add the melted butter, orange zest, eggs, vanilla and hazelnuts and stir to form a firm dough. Tip it onto a well-floured work surface and cut in half. Roll each half into a sausage shape roughly 8 inches long. Place in the prepared tin and press flat so that each ‘sausage’ is roughly 2 inches wide.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carefully transfer the biscotti logs to a board and use a serrated knife to cut each into thin diagonal slices about 1/2 inch thick. Place the biscotti, cut-side down, back in the tin and bake for a further 15 minutes, or until dried out and golden. Set aside to cool completely.
Pour the melted chocolate into a glass and dip the biscotti halfway in. Let the excess chocolate drip back into the glass, then place the biscotti on a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle the chocolate areas with cocoa nibs, then chill until the chocolate has set.
Stored in a sealed container, the biscotti will keep for up to a week.
Yield: 20-25
