What are biscotti cookies?
Every holiday season, America gets a little sweeter. One of the most popular sweets around this time is biscotti. The word biscotti is the Italian word for “twice-cooked,” which describes the traditional twice-baked biscotti. Typically found in Italian cooking, biscotti is a sweet cookie cross between a cake and a cookie. Italians have been making biscotti for centuries, with recipes dating back to 7th century Rome. This recipe has countless variations, but all will include eggs, flour, sugar, and hazelnuts or almonds.
What variations are there for the biscotti recipe?
How many variations can you think of for biscotti? There are two types, both of which are delicious. The first is the typical biscotti with a chocolate coating called (biscotti di cioccolato). It can be served with coffee or tea for an afternoon snack. The second type is the hazelnut-orange biscotti, which goes great with a glass of orange juice or milk. For those who do not want to use hazelnut, a recipe that can be used instead is to substitute the almond with dried cherries, Pistachio, and pumpkin puree.
Barefoot contessa biscotti recipe
Ingredients
- 12 tablespoons Unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup Light brown sugar
- Turbinado Sugar
- ½ cup Granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons Ground cinnamon:
- 3 extra-large eggs, one separated
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- ½ cup Shelled pistachios
- ½ cup Whole dried cherries
- 1 1/3 cups Almond meal or almond flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (149 C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Mix It for 3 minutes on medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add two eggs, yolk (reserve the egg white), and vanilla and mix again until combined.
- In another bowl, combine baking powder, salt, almond meal, and flour. With the mixer on its lowest setting, gradually mix the dry mixture into the butter and sugar mixture, mix thoroughly and make sure all the ingredients are combined.
- Flour your hands, roll dough into a smooth ball, and cut in half with a knife. Roll each piece into an 11 inches long cylinder by 2 inches diameter and place them 3 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.
- Beat the reserved egg white in a bowl with a whisk for 15 seconds. Brush the logs with the beaten egg white, save the rest (and use it for something else later). Sprinkle one teaspoon of turbinado sugar on the logs.
- Set the temperature of the oven to 275 degrees. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, turning each slice once until brown and thoroughly baked. Place it on a cooling rack to cool.
