WHAT’S CRUNCHY, only slightly-sweet, and perfect for dunking in a cup of hot coffee? The Almond Biscotti you see pictured above. If I can make these awesome Italian biscuits on a busy gardening- and housekeeping-day, I’ll wager you can, too. Here’s the super-simple recipe:
Awesome Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients for approximately 40 cookies
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup slivered almonds
1 large egg white
To start, set a sieve over a medium bowl.
Then pour 3 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour into the sieve.
Add 1 tablespoon of baking powder...
And 1/3 teaspoon (a heaping 1/4 teaspoon) of salt.
This next step is a two-handed affair, so no picture: lift the sieve over the bowl with one hand, and with the other hand, tap the side of the sieve so that all ingredients sift into the bowl.
Folks, sifted flour is heavenly thing.
Now dump 1 1/2 cups of sugar into a large bowl. If you are going to mix the dough with your standing mixer, not by hand, use the machine's work-bowl.
I've made this dough plenty of times by hand. All you need is a stout wooden spatula or spoon. And strong biceps.
Add 1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) of melted butter.
Now grab 3 large, local eggs, and break them into the sugar-and-butter mixture.
Add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract...
And 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur.
For the orange liqueur, I used Grand Marnier. The stuff ain't cheap, but I'm willing to spend a little extra on your behalf.
Because you deserve only the best.
Add one tablespoon of grated orange peel. A micro-zester, pictured above, will "zest" a whole orange in 5 seconds flat. I hope you have this gadget in your kitchen-arsenal.
If you are mixing by hand, use a wire whisk to thoroughly blend the sugar and egg mixture together.
Otherwise, attach the work-bowl to your standing mixer. Blend the sugar mixture at medium-speed for about 10 seconds.
If you are mixing by hand, gradually beat the flour into the sugar mixture. If mixing by machine, just dump all of the flour into the wet mixture. Blend first on low-speed; then at medium, until all ingredients are incorporated.
And don't worry that over-mixing will produce a tough cookie. Biscotti is, in fact, a very tough cookie. That's why it's perfect for dunking in coffee. Or for dipping into champagne.
If you've never never tasted champagne-dipped biscotti, you must do so.
At once.
As you can see, the batter -- whether mixed by hand or by machine -- will be very thick. It will also be very delicious, even at this point.
I dare you not to steal a taste of this orange-scented goodness.
Now add one cup of slivered almonds, and mix them in by hand. If you mix them in by machine, the almonds will disintegrate.
I speak from experience.
Dump the dough onto your work surface. And then cut it in half.
With floured fingers, form each half into a 13-inch long, 2-inch wide log.
And don't worry if your measurements aren't exact. Mine never are.
Place the logs on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing them at least 2-3 inches apart. They will spread as they bake.
Now, in a small bowl, quickly whisk one egg white until foamy.
Brush the sides and top of each log with the foam.
Bake on the middle rack of a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, or until the logs spread out, and turn a lovely shade of gold.
Set the logs, still on their baking sheet, on a wire rack to cool. Let them cool completely -- about 25 minutes.
Oh. Don't turn the oven off -- we're going to bake these babies again in just a moment.
Transfer the logs to a wooden board. Using a serrated knife, cut them on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices.
The two ends of each log are the exclusive domain of the cook. Enjoy them in good health.
Discard the parchment paper, and arrange the cut slices on the baking sheet. You can cram all of the slices onto one sheet, or you can work in two batches. I prefer the two-batch-route.
Bake for 12 minutes; then flip the cookies over and bake for another 8 minutes. If they seem soft and cake-like, just bake them a little longer on each side. True biscotti has a firm texture.
Ladies and gentlemen, we now have a blessedly-beautiful batch of biscotti. Let the biscuits cool on a wire rack.
And try not to eat all 40 (or so) cookies in one fell swoop.
You are permitted only 12 at this point.
Dunk it, baby.
You can store the cookies at room-temperature in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Frozen, they will keep for months.
But let's be truthful here. You aren't going to freeze your biscotti. You're going to eat every last crumb within 48 hours.
Need a copy-and-paste version of the above deliciousness? Here goes:
Awesome Almond Biscotti
Adapted from Bon Appetit
Ingredients for approximately 40 cookies
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon orange liqueur
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 cup slivered almonds
1 large egg white
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder and slat into medium bowl. Mix sugar, melted butter, 3 eggs, vanilla, extract, orange liqueur and zest in large bowl. Add flour mixture to egg mixture and stir with wooden spoon until well-blended. Mix in almonds.
Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each dough half into a 13-inch-long, 2-inch-wide log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing apart. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush over top and sides of each dough log.
Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 30 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack, about 25 minutes. Maintain oven temperature.
Transfer logs to work surface; discard parchment paper. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same baking sheet. Bake 12 minutes. Turn biscotti over; bake until just beginning to color, about 8 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
Think you'll try these deliciously-crisp, crunchy, morsels? Talk to me in the comments field below.
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English Cream Scones
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