Biscotti

When it comes to cookies, biscotti seem to be the bastard step-child that doesn't get the attention it should. Well, that's at least how I see things here in the U.S. In the land of the chocolate chip cookie, I don't really see the reliable biscotti making a huge impact. I go to coffee shops on the regular, and I never see anyone eating any of the biscotti being sold there. Maybe I'm wrong and have never paid enough attention to it. Or maybe these little treats are just a little misunderstood.

In my personal experiences, when most people hear a non-English word when talking about a food item, they tend to think that item is "fancy" or somehow special. This couldn't be farther from the truth in the case of biscotti. Don't look at it as some fancy Italian cookie that only Guido's grandma knows how to make. Look at it for what it really is: A big fucking cookie that is baked twice. Once you do that, you have nothing to worry about!

Since I didn't have a base recipe of my own, I searched online and managed to find what seemed like a good base to start with. My philosophy is that when you are working with new recipes or ingredients, start with something simple to test the waters. If it comes out ok, you know it's something you can build off of. If it doesn't work out, it's not a big loss because you didn't go crazy with a lot of expensive ingredients.

Biscotti Recipe

4oz            Butter
1cup          Granulated Sugar
3 1/4 cup   All Purpose Flour
1TBS        Baking Powder
3                Eggs
1TBS         Vanilla Extract
1                Vanilla Bean, Seeds Only
1/2 tsp       Ground Cinnamon
                  Fresh Ground Nutmeg

                  Melted Butter
                  Cinnamon-Sugar

I started by creaming together the butter, sugar, and all the spices. I know, most recipes won't tell you to do this, but I find that doing this ensures an even dispersal of the spices.

When you have a smooth butter and sugar mixture, it's time to add the eggs and dry ingredients. I like to alternate adding the wet and dry ingredients a little at a time. Again, most recipes won't tell you to do this. I like this method because I tend to see less clumps of flour that don't incorporate into the mix.

 

When your dough is done, it will be a bit drier than what you might be used to seeing when making cookies. Don't worry, it's supposed to be like that.

 

 From here, turn on your oven to 350F. Prep your oven tray at this point, too. I lined mine with foil and sprayed a little non-stick spray on there.

Now it's time to separate the dough in half and roll them into logs about the length of the tray you are using.

Once they are shaped and on the tray, brush a little melted butter on the top and sides of each biscotti log and sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar. You don't want to be too heavy handed with the cinnamon-sugar, but you do want to know it's there.

I baked them for close to 40 minutes. To be honest, I probably could have gone a little less. I would say to take them out between 30 and 35 minutes and you should be good.

When finished, they are going to be a little larger than when they went in and shouldn't have too much color on them. Remember, they are going to be baked twice, so you don't want a golden brown after the first run.

Now it's time to let these cool down completely before slicing. Since I was an impatient bastard last night, I didn't wait too long before slicing. In doing so, some of the pieces cracked and broke. But I am totally blaming the dough on that part!

Since I have a conventional oven and all the heat is really at the bottom of my oven, I laid the cookies on their side and baked them about 8 or 9 minutes on each side until I got the color I was looking for. If you have a convection oven, just stand them upright and check on them at 10 minutes. They might not be done, but you should get an idea of how much more time they need.

In all honesty, I was happy with how this turned out. The vanilla was the star of the show, but not overpowering of the cinnamon and nutmeg. They were crisp, yet not hard enough to chip a tooth, which can be the downfall of many biscotti. The topping of the cinnamon-sugar was also a nice touch, adding a little something extra to my coffee as I dipped it.

If you are looking for something not too sweet to go with your morning tea or coffee, I think this is a great way to go. Plus, if kept in an air-tight container, these things will last for a while. How long is a while? I don't know! Odds are, you and family will eat these up way before they would start to go bad.

That's it for this one. Hope you enjoyed the ride. Now it's time for a beer. CHEERS!

Food Haiku

Temperature low
Flavor has time to define
Patience must be held