Biscotti. Comfort Food for the Winter!

Biscotti

Makes 35-40 biscotti

·       Read the entire recipe before starting. You will be making a basic biscotti dough and then add flavouring ingredients like pistachio and cherries.

·       We are making a basic dough and then adding additional flavouring ingredients.

·       You will have to shape the biscotti, bake, then cut and bake one last time.

Biscotti means (twice baked or twice cooked)

Makes 35-40 biscotti.

Ingredients

3 large eggs

1 ¼ cups white sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 egg yolk with 3 tbsp. water mixed well. (Egg wash)

Preparation of the basic dough

In a stand mixer bowl with whisk add eggs, vanilla and salt. Mix on high speed for 2 minutes. Mix until triple in volume, should be pale yellow and fluffy. Remove whisk and put the paddle on mixer. Add flour and baking powder. Mix on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrap down bowl. Mix for 1 minute or until dough forms a ball.

Flavouring the biscotti

Add additional flavouring ingredients to dough.

Mix dough and flavouring ingredients for 1 minute on medium speed. Place dough in a large bowl and knead by hand ensuring flavouring ingredients are even distributed in the dough.

Flavouring the biscotti ingredients

1.    Cherry pistachio biscotti

 add to dough after dough is mixed.

½ cup pistachio shelled and chopped into 1/8 inch pieces.

½ cup dried cherries chopped in 1/8-inch pieces.

2.    Pecan cranberry biscotti

½ cup pecan pieces

½ cup dried cranberries chopped in 1/8-inch pieces.

3.    Almond biscotti

 1 cup slivered almonds.

Pecan biscotti

 1 cup pecan pieces.

Shaping the dough

Remove the dough from bowl, place dough on a table or cutting board and make rectangle that is 12 inches long and 2 inches high.

                              12 “

                                                                2”

Cut dough into 3 equal pieces (4-inch pieces)

Use a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

You are going to be making 3 individual rectangle pieces so allow room between each piece on the baking sheet.

Place 3 pieces of dough on baking sheet with parchment paper 4 inches apart in the middle of the baking sheet. Spread the dough using your hand (flour your hands) until the dough is a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangle.

Brush the top of each piece of dough with the egg wash.

Baking the biscotti

Preheat oven (not convection)to 325 F

Bake the biscotti for 40 minutes.

Remove from oven let rest for 5 minutes. Set oven to 275 F.

Remove dough from baking sheet and place on cutting board.

Cut the dough into finger size slices. Make sure they are all the same size for even baking. Place the slices back on baking sheet and separate each biscotti ½ inch apart to allow them to dry out on both sides.

Put into 275 F. oven and bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool over night. (at least 8 hours before storing)

Place in a container that in not an airtight (air tight container will make the biscotti go soft)

You can store the biscotti in a zip lock bag in freezer. (remove biscotti from freezer 2-3 hour before eating, at room temperature)