RECIPES
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Biscotti During the past decade, biscotti has appeared in virtually every coffee house across the United States. Its crisp texture and subtle sweetness make biscotti the perfect snack or accompaniment to most beverages. In Italy, the word "biscotti" refers to all cookies. In the states, biscotti describes the dry, crunchy, crescent-shaped cookie ideal for dunking, known to Italians as cantucci. Directions Preheat oven to 300° F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sift together the flour and baking soda. Whip the eggs, sugar, salt and anise extract in an electric mixer using the whip attachment on high speed, until thick and light in color, about 5 minutes. On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients until just incorporated. Add the almonds and anise seeds by hand and blend until evenly combined. On the parchment lined cookie sheet, form the dough into a 4" by 16"/10 cm by 40 cm wide flattened log (about ¾ to 1" high). Bake in a 300° F oven until light golden brown, about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 275°F. Using a serrated knife, cut the strip crosswise into ½" slices. Lay the sliced cookies back on the parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake, turning the biscotti once halfway through the baking time, until golden brown and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack and store in an airtight container for up to two weeks or longer if properly stored. Variation: For Orange Biscotti, replace the anise extract with 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and ¼ teaspoon almond extract; replace the whole almonds with slivered almonds; and replace the anise seeds with 3 tablespoons grated orange zest and 1/3 cup finely chopped candied orange peel. Nutrition information per cookie: This recipe is from The Culinary Institute of America's Baking and Pastry, Mastering the Art and Craft cookbook, which is available for purchase at bookstores nationwide. |
Ingredients Makes 32 ½-inch biscotti |
