Eggnog biscotti

It might have taken me a while to get started with the Christmas series, but once I did I was perfuming my house with spices for hours on end – my husband took a look at the kitchen counter and said: “wow, you are really inspired!” :)

These biscotti are super simple to make and might even receive other flavors if you are not that crazy for nutmeg, maybe some citrus zest? I guess they would be amazing with orange and Cointreau, for instance. The original recipe called for eggnog in the glaze, so I adapted it a little to avoid using raw eggs in the biscotti.

Eggnog biscotti
slightly adapted from here

Biscotti:
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature
⅔ cup (133g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon rum
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 eggs

For the glaze:
2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (120g) icing sugar
generous pinch freshly grated nutmeg
about 1 tablespoon whole milk

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.

Biscotti: in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in vanilla, rum and nutmeg. Beat in eggs one at a time. On low speed, mix in the dry ingredients and mix just until a dough forms (mine was too soft to shape, I added 1 tablespoon of flour).
Divide dough in half and shape each half in a log about 15x5cm (6x2in). Place the logs about 7.5cm (3in) apart onto prepared sheets and bake for about 25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes – leave the oven on. Line another large baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice biscotti into little less than 2cm (¾ in) slices. Place slices onto prepared sheet and bake fo 10 minutes. Turn all slices carefully, and bake for another 10 minutes. Cool completely on baking sheet over a wire rack.

Glaze: whisk butter, sugar and nutmeg until mixture starts to get creamy. Add milk gradually, whisking until drizzable consistency. Drizzle biscotti with glaze and set aside until glaze is dry, about 20 minutes.
Biscotti can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days – without the glaze they last even longer.

Makes about 25

Pine nut and Marsala biscotti and making a very interesting fairy tale

At the risk of you thinking I have a heart of stone (after I told you I don’t like animated movies) I’ll confess that I’m not into fairy tales, either – I did love Alice in Wonderland as a kid, but then I went to college and learned not so great things about Lewis Carroll, so I never cared for it again the way I used to.

But, same as with biblical stories, attach great people to the project and I’m instantly interested: I learned this morning that Cinderella is directed by Kenneth Branagh – whom I adore both as an actor and as a director – and Cate Blanchett will be the Stepmother – if Charlize Theron kicked ass as the villain in that silly Snow White movie, can you imagine what Cate will do? And directed by Mr. Branagh? There's more: Helena Bonham Carter will be The Fairy Godmother and my bets are that they’re either thinking outside the box here or we’ll see the craziest Fairy Godmother of all time. :D

I’m no stranger to biscotti, as you know, and almond biscotti is something I love – however, when I opened the freezer to get the almonds I noticed I did not have any around. Bummer. But there they were, the two packages of pine nuts I’d brought from NY (because here pine nuts cost a small fortune) just begging to be used. I made the biscotti with the pine nuts instead thinking that they would either be a great idea or a waste of my precious ingredients – luckily, they turned out delicious.

Now what do you think will be the case with Helena? :D

Pine nut and Marsala biscotti
adapted from Dolci: Italy's Sweets

385g all purpose flour
150g granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon table salt
3 heaping tablespoons honey
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
finely grated zest of 1 large orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100ml Marsala wine
120g pine nuts, lightly toasted and cooled – or use almonds as the original recipes calls for

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, honey, eggs, egg yolks, butter, orange zest, vanilla and Marsala. With an electric mixer, mix just until a dough forms, then mix in the pine nuts – dough is sticky, but add a tiny bit of flour if it’s too sticky.
Divide the dough into 3 equal portions and, using wet hands, form each into a 25x5cm (10x2in) cylinder. Place them 5cm (2in) apart onto the baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden and firm.
Carefully slide the foil with the logs onto a wire rack and cool for 8 minutes. Line the sheet with baking paper. Using a sharp knife and one firm cut, slice each log diagonally into 1.5cm slices, place them onto the sheet, side by side, and bake for 8 minutes or until golden. Turn the biscotti and bake until golden on the other side as well. Cool completely on the sheet.
The biscotti can be kept in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 35

Cornmeal-pistachio biscotti and going back to dramaville

I try not to be such a creature of habit sometimes but apparently I fail miserably at it. After watching dark drama after dark drama, I felt I needed to take a breather – it was time for a comedy. To avoid repeating the mistake of months ago, I asked the lovely Amanda for some tips on comedies, and despite being a drama kind of gal like me she commented something about Community, Parks and Recreation (that one I already adore) and 30 Rock – I’ve read tons about the latter but never watched it, so I decided to start with it.

I watched the pilot and found it funny and clever; however, by the end of it I felt there was something missing – maybe the tight muscles or the teeth clenching, I don’t know. One day later I was back to dramaville, this time accompanied by Hellboy and Peggy Bundy – if that isn’t sheer perfection I don’t know what is. :D

Every time I feel like baking cookies I have to fight the urge of making biscotti – they are easy to make, taste great and can be kept in an airtight container for a good while – what’s not to love? I sometimes manage to vary a little but end up going back to my addiction – this time I was lured in by the addition of cornmeal to the dough, which turned out to be a delicious idea.

Cornmeal-pistachio biscotti
slightly adapted from The Zuni Cafe Cookbook

125g pistachios
¼ cup (56g) cold unsalted butter
½ cup + 2 tablespoons (125g) granulated sugar
1 large cold egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons Amaretto
1 ¼ cups (155g) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons fine cornmeal – I used corn flour (not corn starch)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon table salt

Preheat oven to 165°C/325°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Roast the pistachios on a small baking sheet until they are fragrant. Finely chop ¼ cup of the nuts; coarsely chop the remainder.
In a medium bowl, barely cream the butter with the sugar. Beat in the egg, vanilla and Amaretto.
In a separate bowl, combine the nuts, flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix until homogenous.
Divide the dough in half. Roll the dough into logs about 2.5cm (1in) in diameter. The dough should be cold enough to handle without difficulty, though you may need to dust the counter with a little additional flour if the logs start to stick.
Place the logs on the baking sheet, spacing them at least a few inches apart; they will swell considerably. Bake until slightly brown and firm on the surface, but yielding to light pressure, 15-20 minutes. Rotate the pan if they are browning unevenly. Don’t underbake, or the baking powder will not complete its job, and the cookies will be hard and dense rather than crisp and with a great coarse texture.
Slide the paper with the logs to a wire rack and let cool for 5-8 minutes. Turn the oven temperature to 180°C/350°F.
Slice the logs on an angle about 1.25cm (½in) thick. Line the warm baking sheet with baking paper. Place the biscotti cut side down on sheet and bake for another 5 minutes or so to brown lightly. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.

Makes about 30

Hazelnut, almond and cranberry biscotti, and when competition is fair

I have always found the Golden Globes much more fun than the Oscars, and a lot fairer, too, since they separate comedy from drama. Fair is not a word I often associate with movie and TV awards since there are always the lobbied performances that get nominated (and win) while talented people are left behind.

However, this year, as Paula Patton and Aaron Eckhart announced the nominees for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama, I told my husband: “this is unusual: each and every one of them deserve the award”. The Globe ended up in Bryan Cranston’s hands – much to my delight – but it would have been completely fair had Paula announced any other of the four nominees, and I would have liked it anyway. I think that deep down inside all four of them – and any other actor in a major TV drama - are celebrating the fact that, next year, Bryan Cranston is out of the competition. :D

My Bryan Cranston of biscotti recipes, Alice Medrich’s almond biscotti, has, after a good while, found some serious competition: these WS biscotti are just as delicious, and the soft, dried cranberries are a nice contrast to the crunch of the nuts. Don’t even think of omitting or replacing the orange zest: it really makes these biscotti.

Hazelnut, almond and cranberry biscotti
from the delicious Williams-Sonoma Collection: Cookies

250g all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup (113g/1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
80g hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
80g almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries, coarsely chopped if large
finely grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat an oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Stir in the hazelnuts, almonds, cranberries and orange zest until evenly distributed. The batter should be very soft.

Turn the batter out onto a generously floured work surface and divide in half. With well-floured hands, transfer one-half onto the prepared baking sheet and shape into a log about 30cm (12in) long and 3.75cm (1½in) in diameter. Place on one side of the sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter, leaving 10cm (4in) the logs. (They will spread as they bake.)
Bake the logs until the edges are golden, 25-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the logs cool for 10 minutes. Slide the logs still attached to the paper from the sheet and line it again with baking paper. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into slices 1.25cm (½in) wide. Carefully place the slices on their sides on the baking sheet and return them to the oven. Bake until the edges are golden, about 10 minutes more. Let the biscotti cool completely on the sheets on wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 4 dozen biscotti – I got 32

Cinnamon and cherry biscotti

The Christmas biscotti I made last year were so delicious I decided that this year I needed Christmas biscotti again, but to change things up a bit I used one of Donna Hay's wonderful recipes, mixing cinnamon and dried cherries. You might think that when it comes to biscotti I'm biased (and you're right), so I'll let two very talented ladies convince you that biscotti is a delicious treat - and dead easy to make.

Cinnamon and cherry biscotti
slightly adapted from the always wonderful Donna Hay Magazine

2 cups + 2 tablespoons (300g) all purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup (95g) dried cherries, chopped

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until a dough forms. Incorporate the cherries.
Shape the dough into a log, approximately 30cm (12in) long. Place onto prepared sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden and firm to touch. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheet over a wire rack for 30 minutes. Line another baking sheet with baking paper.
Carefully slice the logs into 3mm-thick slices and place onto prepared sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool on the sheets.

Makes about 25

Chocolate peanut butter biscotti

The biscotti-craze doesn't seem to be going anywhere, therefore it was not so difficult for me to choose which recipe to make first from the oh, so beautiful "Tea With Bea": the cheesecakes looked amazing and I felt tempted to start with one of them, but since I did not have any cream cheese in the fridge I went for the chocolate pb biscotti. I have to honest with you: the dough needed some adjustment and enclosing the peanut butter inside it was less fun than I'd expected, but in the end it was all worth it, because the biscotti turned out absolutely delicious.

Chocolate peanut butter biscotti
slightly adapted from the oh, so beautiful Tea With Bea: Recipes from Bea's of Bloomsbury

2 cups + 2 tablespoons (300g) all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (45g) cocoa powder
100g light brown sugar
2 tablespoons golden syrup – I used corn syrup
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
80g roasted, salted peanuts
80g dark chocolate chips
granulated sugar, for sprinkling
generous 1/3 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, cocoa and sugar. Set aside.
Put the golden syrup, oil, eggs, water and vanilla in another bowl and whisk to combine. Add t the dry mixture and stir until just combined (my dough here was very dry and crumbly, so I added another egg and 1 tablespoon oil).
Add the peanuts and chocolate and mix until evenly distributed. Form the dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour before proceeding.
Preheat the oven to 145°C/290°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Sprinkle a work surface liberally with sugar. Place the dough onto the sugar and flatten roughly with your hands. Dot spoonfuls of peanut butter all over the dough and lightly roll the dough into a log about 6cm (2½in) wide and 2cm (1in) high. Try to encase the peanut butter inside the log to avoid it from burning.
Transfer the dough log to the prepared baking sheet. Bake it for 25-40 minutes until the top is completely hardened, and when tapped, feels sturdy and not squishy inside. Remove from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes.
Turn the oven to 135°C/265°C. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Slice the cooled log, diagonally, into 1cm (½in) slices. Lay all the slices flat on the prepared sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until nice and dry, turn all the biscotti over bake for another 10-15 minutes on that side. Cool completely on the sheet.
Store in an airtight container. The biscotti will keep for up to 1 month.

Makes about 30 – I made the exact recipe above and got 22

Glazed lemon biscotti

I know what you’ll think: since becoming a biscotti-fanatic it was just a matter of time before I baked lemon biscotti, right? So, here you have it, and to make up for all this time it is a double lemon biscotti: the biscotti are heavily perfumed with lemon zest and the glaze is deliciously tangy from the juice – as Brilynn would say, “go big or go home”. :D

Glazed lemon biscotti
slightly adapted from the wonderful Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets

Biscotti:
2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick/113g) unsalted butter, slightly firm
finely ground zest of 2 lemons
¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Glaze:
1 ½ cups (210g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon corn syrup
about 1 tablespoon hot water

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and zest on medium-low speed. Increase to medium and add the sugar in a steady stream. Beat for 1 minute longer.
Beat in the egg, then the yolks and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. On low speed, add the sifted ingredients in two additions, mixing just until incorporated.
Spoon half the dough onto one side of the prepared sheet and, with floured hands, shape it into a 5x35cm (2x14in) log. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until set on top and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and place over a wire rack for 15 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F and line another large baking sheet with baking paper.
Carefully lift one log at a time from the baking paper and slice into 1cm (½in) slices. Lay the biscotti slices onto the prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes each side or until golden. Remove from the oven and place onto a wire rack.
In the meantime, make the glaze: combine the sugar, lemon juice, corn syrup and the water and mix until the glaze has a drizzable consistency – add more water if necessary. While the biscotti are still warm, place them very close together in the sheet then dip a fork in the glaze and quickly move it back and forth over the biscotti. Let cool to room temperature and wait for the glaze to dry before storing.
Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

Makes about 40

Nibby chocolate marble biscotti + my thoughts on a certain actor

While watching “The Other Boleyn Girl” – again – a couple of days ago I felt absolutely sure about a “theory” I developed a month or so ago: to me, Eric Bana should be the one getting all the good parts that end up in Brad Pitt’s hands. Not only is the man insanely handsome and charming, he can act. He can really act. And he’s versatile. I started thinking of how wonderfully he would have played Mr. O’Brien, Lt. Aldo Raine or Benjamin Button, for that matter; how much subtlety he would have brought to those characters. It’s such a shame that star power apparently always wins over talent. That makes me sad.

***

Making these biscotti was not the walk in the park the previous biscotti had been – the marbling with melted chocolate was sort of a pain in the neck. But the final product was worth every second of swearing in my kitchen: the biscotti tasted delicious and looked beautiful, too. The original recipe called for 1 cup of walnuts, so feel free to use them instead if you prefer.

Nibby chocolate marble biscotti
slightly adapted from the wonderful Great Cookies: Secrets to Sensational Sweets, inspired by the delicious Unforgettable Desserts

2 ¾ cups (385g) all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¾ cup (170g) unsalted butter, slightly firm
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup (60g) cacao nibs
85g (3oz) dark chocolate, melted

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the sugar in a steady stream then beat for 2 minutes longer. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping the bowl occasionally. Beat in the vanilla.
On low speed, mix in the sifted ingredients in two additions, mixing just until incorporated. With a spatula, stir in the cacao nibs.
Divide the dough in half and place half of it into a large bowl. Working one bowl at a time, drizzle spoonfuls of half the chocolate over the top of the dough, then cut through the dough with a spatula – do not overmix; you want the marble effect.
Transfer the batter to the prepared sheet, shaping it into a 30x5cm (12x2in) log. Repeat the procedure with the remaining dough.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until logs are firm and their bottom is lightly browned. Remove from the oven, set over a wire rack to cool for 20-25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
With a serrated knife, slice the logs into 1.25cm (½in) slices. Place them onto prepared sheet then bake for 10 minutes each side or until golden. Cool completely in the pan over a wire rack.

Makes about 30

Almond biscotti

This morning I watched the teaser trailer for “Skyfall” and I really liked what I saw: not only the movie has a kick-ass director – I love Sam Mendes! – but Ralph Fiennes is in the movie, too. I mean, Ralph Fiennes and Daniel Craig together, with Judy Dench to boot. As if “The Dark Knight Rises” and “The Hobbit” weren’t making me anxious enough. :)

And since my latest and very expected cookbook purchase hasn’t arrived yet I had to bake from another one of Ms. Medrich’s fabulous books – these biscotti turned out so good, so delicious, that it was hard photographing them before eating the whole batch.

Almond biscotti
from the amazing Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich

2 cups (280g) all purpose flour
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (212g) granulated sugar
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons Amaretto
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g whole almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and mix together thoroughly with a whisk or fork. Set aside.
Whisk the eggs, amaretto and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture and then the almonds. The dough will be thick and sticky. Scrape the dough into a long log shape lengthwise on the cookie sheet. Wet your hands and shape the dough into a long flat loaf about 30x10cm (12x4in).
Bake until firm and dry, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Line the cooled cookie sheet with baking paper again.
Carefully remove the baking paper from the loaf and transfer it carefully to a cutting board. Using a long serrated knife, cut the loaf on the diagonal into slices 1.25 to 2cm (½ to ¾in) wide. Lay the slices, cut side down, on the cookie sheet. Toast the biscotti for 40-50 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown. Place the cookie sheet on a rack to cool. Cool the cookies completely before stacking or storing. May be stored, airtight, for several weeks.

Makes 2 dozen biscotti

Oatmeal biscotti

And the biscotti saga continues: these, packed with oats, pecans and apricots have a healthy feel and taste delicious. A couple more great things: they last a month (not that I think they will, but...), travel well and are wonderful as snacks between meals, but... As much as I hate to admit it, I think it will be really hard to find one biscotti recipe that can top the caramelized-pecan orange ones. Well, I don’t mind keeping on testing new recipes to find that out. :D

Oatmeal biscotti
from the amazing The Craft of Baking: Cakes, Cookies, and Other Sweets with Ideas for Inventing Your Own

1 cup (115g) old-fashioned rolled oats
1 ¾ cups (245g) all purpose flour
¾ cup (131g) light brown sugar, packed
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
¼ cup (60ml) dark molasses
2 tablespoons canola oil
¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup (82g) pecans, lightly toasted, cooled and roughly chopped
¾ cup dried apricots, chopped

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper.
Place ½ cup of the oats in a food processor and process until finely ground. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment whisk together the oat flour, remaining ½ cup oats, all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses, oil and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed slowly add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix until combined. Mix in the pecans and apricots – dough will be stiff.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide it in half. Shape each portion into a 40x5cm (16x2in) log and transfer them to the prepared baking sheet, 7.5cm (3in) apart. Bake until the logs are golden and firm to touch, about 30 minutes. Transfer the logs, still on the parchment paper, to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 150°C/300°F and line two baking sheets with baking paper.
With a serrated knife, slice the logs on the diagonal into 8mm (1/3in) thick slices. Place the biscotti slices onto the prepared sheets 2.5cm (1in) apart and bake until they are dry and firm to touch, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on the sheets over a wire rack.
Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 month.

Makes about 3 dozen

Caramelized pecan-orange biscotti

I was writing something about my newest obsession – biscotti – but then I heard the news that Gary Oldman has finally been nominated for an Academy Award and I simply forgot what I was doing. :) Being the walking contradiction that I am – someone who doesn’t care for the Oscars but always hopes that her favorites win – my heart just lit up. ♥

Oh, the biscotti: these are delicious beyond imagination. I mean, really: chopped praliné? In cookie form? How can that not be fantastic? ;)

Caramelized pecan-orange biscotti
from the delicious The Good Cookie: Over 250 Delicious Recipes from Simple to Sublime

Pecan praliné:
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
¼ cup (60ml) water
1 cup (110g) pecan halves

Biscotti:
3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
4 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
finely grated zest of 4 oranges

Make the pecan praliné: lightly brush a baking sheet with vegetable oil. In a medium-sized heavy saucepan, combine the sugar and water and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to high and bring the syrup to a boil. Cook without stirring, occasionally brushing down the sides of the pan with a wet pastry brush, until the syrup turns a dark caramel. Immediately add the pecans and stir to coat with the caramel. Quickly turn the mixture out onto the oiled baking sheet. Cool for 20 minutes, or until hardened. Transfer the praliné to a cutting board and, using a large knife, finely chop it. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt on low speed until combined. In a large glass-measuring cup, gently whisk together the olive oil, eggs, yolk and orange zest. Add this mixture all at once to the dry ingredients and mix, still on low speed, just until combined; do not over-mix. Add the chopped pecan praliné and mix for a few seconds, until blended.
Scrape the dough out onto a floured work surface and divide it into thirds. Shape each portion into a 30cm (12inch) long log. Transfer the logs to one of the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 7.5cm (3in) apart (the logs will spread). With the heel of your hand, flatten the logs slightly, until they are about 5cm (2in) wide. Place the baking sheet on the upper oven rack and bake for about 25 minutes, or until the dough is set. Set the baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for 10-15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C/325°F.
Slide a pancake turner under each log to loosen it from the parchment paper. Carefully transfer the logs to a cutting surface. Line the baking sheet with clean parchment paper. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs on the diagonal into 1.25cm (½in) slices. Arrange the slices cut side down and 2.5cm (1in) apart on the two baking sheets and bake for about 15 minutes, or until dry and crisp. Transfer the biscotti to a wire rack and cool completely.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

Makes about 54 biscotti – I halved the recipe above, shaped the dough into a 30cm (12in) long log and got 16 large biscotti

Holiday biscotti + Nicolas Winding Refn

I cannot wait for “Drive” to arrive here but the first time I ever heard of Nicolas Winding Refn was when he got a prize in Cannes this year; since I am a very curious creature I looked him up at IMDb, which got me to “Bronson”; now I cannot wait to watch two movies from that director. :)

And because I am a very curious creature I do not know why it took me so long to try biscotti for the first time; now that I have, I’m completely hooked – you wouldn’t believe how many biscotti recipes I have bookmarked already.

Holiday biscotti
slightly adapted from the wonderful Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

3 cups (420g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup (73g) dried cranberries
2/3 cup (86g) unsalted pistachios
1 large egg, extra, lightly beaten, for brushing

Preheat oven to 190°C/375°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture, and mix on low speed until combined. Mix in cranberries and pistachios.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape each piece into a 40x5cm (16x2in) log, and transfer to prepared baking sheet, about 7cm (3in) apart. With the palm of your hand, flatten logs slightly. Brush beaten egg over surface of the dough logs, and sprinkle generously with sugar.
Bake, rotating sheet halfway through, until logs are slightly firm to touch, about 25 minutes. Transfer logs on parchment paper to a wire rack to cool slightly, about 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 150°C/300°F; line two large baking sheets with baking paper.
Place logs on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut logs crosswise on the diagonal into 1.25cm (½in) thick slices. Place onto prepared sheets, 2.5cm (1in) apart. Bake until firm to touch, about 30minutes. Remove pan from oven; let biscotti cool completely on sheets.
Biscotti can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Makes about 4 dozen – I halved the recipe above and got 18 biscotti