The Italian Job

Okay this is my big share for the end of the year.  It make sound crazy but I take making biscotti very seriously.  Getting it right has taken me a number of years and feel I have it down to a fine art.  This makes a wonderful gift or a great little side biscuit for an afternoon tea, or for a sudden onslaught of visitors or just a great way to enhance coffee time in the morning (my personal favourite)

The original recipe came from Guy Grossi but I have tinkered with this as I like lots more almonds etc and slightly less sugar as I really feel we over sugar our treats, most recipes I halve.

Biscotti means twice cooked in blessed Italiano......

Ingredients for Biscotti:

1 & 1/2 cup of almonds (roast for 7 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius)

3 eggs (average size)

2/3 cup caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of almond extract (does taste better with it, but don't over do it)

2 & 1/3rd cups of unbleached flour/white plain flour

2/3 cup of glazed cherries or sultanas /chopped fig / apricot/ choc-chips

bake paper and extra plain flour for bench top

Method:

*Set oven temperature to 160 degrees 
*Bake your almonds/mixed nuts on bake paper and tray for 7 minutes (you can omit this if you have roasted almonds instead)

*When done it is an option to chop them up with a knife or if you are lazy like me I just leave them until they are ready for other ingredients....

*Set oven to 180 degrees or 170 degrees if fan forced

*Use a large mixing bowl

*Beat with a mixer - the eggs, vanilla, sugar, almond extract and baking powder, mix until nice and frothy.

*Add flour, nuts and glazed cherries and stir with a wooden spoon until mixed through.  The mixture should be heavy and hard to mix, if a bit too wet add a few teaspoons of flour until a good balance, this will depend on the quality of the flour.

*Sprinkle a decent coating of flour on the bench and grab a third of the mixture and roll out into a log.  I like to sprinkle flour all over the log, it just makes the whole process less sticky and finishes the log.  Flatten the log until its about 1cm high and 4cm wide and put on the bake tray. 

Repeat with other two logs, you may need two trays or just wait until after the first bake.  You can have them sitting there on bake paper until you are ready to bake next.

I like to bake each log for 18 minutes and then turn over for another 5 minutes.  You can have two logs in at once if you have a good sized tray.

*Once completed take out of the oven the first tray and add the second batch.  Quickly put the baked log onto a bread board and cut with a sharp thin knife into slices. 

**This part is key, it will be very hot but please persist, use a t-towel to hold in place. If you wait for the log to get cooler it is much harder to cut and usually ends up crumbly.  Guy Grossi did not mention this I had to learn the hard way. It took me some time to learn this trick so I am happy to pass it on.

*Once the logs are done and sliced place the cut up biscotti back on to the bake paper facing down and bake for 8 minutes at 160 degrees, and then turn over and bake again for 8 minutes so each side is done and then let cool on a wire rack.  Twiced cooked, you can still eat one or two this way, they just get better the longer they are baked.

Presto, you are done.

More Options for blessed biscotti....

You can also add lemon zest, choc chips instead of sultanas, figs or apricots, there are many options, I have tried them all.  I prefer my biscotti to be less sweet. Obviously you can swap the nuts for hazelnut and a mixture of walnut and almond or my personal favourite almond and hazelnut.   Again I have tried them all, but almonds are the best.  At christmas time you can add glazed cherries for a wonderful festive biscotti, these are a dream and always a hit (you can can thank Guy for this tip the original recipe is with glazed cherries).......

Lastly, this is one of those processes that is nice to do when you are in the kitchen and or in the house doing odd jobs, it seems a bit fussy but as long as you have a spare hour or two to play it is worth the effort and makes a wonderful xmas gift for your neighbour….

Email me if you want to share something about your own journey about the biscotti or if you have a question, or if I missed something vital in the creating part.....

Biscotti originates from a little Tuscan city called Prato, just outside of Florence. So if in Toscana go get yourself some of the authentic home made goods, but if not in Italy just make this and feel right at home. E

Enjoy.

Please share:  23colours@gmail.com